


Burn Brighter than Fire

by Chicken_NuggetsYum



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Enemies to Lovers, Hero Ace, Hero Luffy, Hero/Villain fic, M/M, Out of Character, Slow Burn, Superheroes, Two Endings, Villain Sabo, saboace - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2020-08-20 07:11:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 66
Words: 62,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20223889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chicken_NuggetsYum/pseuds/Chicken_NuggetsYum
Summary: Sabo grew up in a family of heroes. Everyone expected him to be a hero, just like the rest of his family. He was raised as if he were going to be the best hero in the world, even though his power was yet to manifest itself.~~~~~~~~Ace grew up in a family of villains. His father was one of the most wanted villains in the world. Everyone thought he would follow in the footsteps of his father and be a villain. He was treated like he was going to become the most feared villain in the world before his power even manifested.





	1. Chapter 1

Sabo grew up in a family of heroes. Everyone expected him to be a hero, just like the rest of his family. He was raised as if he were going to be the best hero in the world, even though his power was yet to manifest itself.

When Sabo was younger, he did want to become a hero. He thought it would be the coolest thing in the world to save people. He wanted to be the best hero in the world. He dreamed of what his power would manifest as.

Maybe he could fly. Maybe he could turn invisible. Maybe he had super speed. Maybe he had super strength. Maybe he could control things with his mind. The possibilities were really endless. It didn’t matter what his parents had, all that mattered was what manifested when he grew old enough.

Most people’s powers manifest by the time they were 10, some manifested before, and some after, but if your power hadn’t manifested by the time you were 13, you could kiss your chance of getting a power goodbye.

Sabo’s power manifested a little after his 10th birthday. It was during the night. It was an accident. He didn’t mean to do it. He didn’t know how to control his power at such a young age. He woke up surrounded by fire.

He lit his house on fire, and himself with it.

It didn’t take long for heroes with water powers to put out the fire, but Sabo didn’t come out unscathed. He now displayed scars from the fire. They mostly littered his left side, but a few strayed to the right.

He had a scar over his left eye. The fire had burned his eye, making it impossible to see out of it. He had scars on his arm and leg. The fire had burned his skin in little patches. He had scars on his chest and back. The fire left him covered in bandages for quite some time.

His parents signed him up for super power training classes to help him learn control. He learned that he was immune to his own fire, which meant that he didn’t actually light his house on fire. He learned that he could turn himself into fire. He learned how to make the fire conform to how he wanted it to.

When Sabo turned 16, he learned the truth about his family. He learned the truth about his ‘heroes.’

They weren’t heroes at all. They didn’t save people for the sake of saving people. They saved people for the sake of getting money and power. They weren’t ‘real’ heroes. They weren’t the heroes that Sabo wanted them to be.

When Sabo turned 16, he changed his mind about being a hero.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ace grew up in a family of villains. His father was one of the most wanted villains in the world. Everyone thought he would follow in the footsteps of his father and be a villain. He was treated like he was going to become the most feared villain in the world before his power even manifested.

When Ace was younger, he wanted to be a villain. He thought that it would be cool to cause chaos in the streets. He thought it would be cool to fight the heroes and get to come up with evil schemes. He wanted to become the most famous villain in the world. He thought of all the powers he could get that would make him a good villain.

He could get mind control. He could get some sort of plasma powers. He could get super strength. He could get teleportation. He had many possibilities of what he could get. He couldn’t wait until he was old enough so he could see what his power manifested as. There was a possibility that he wouldn’t have a power, but he didn’t like to think about that.

Ace’s powers manifested one night after his tenth birthday. He was walking around the streets in the middle of the night, looking for some place he could rob. His father taught him how to pickpocket people, just in case he ever needed a way to earn money on his own.

Ace was walking past a big house. It probably belonged to some rich person that lived in a way Ace could only imagine. Ace decided to peek through one of the windows of the house, just to see what was going on. He peeked through a window and found the room of a young boy, who was currently asleep.

The boy then seemed to light on fire. Ace stared in shock as he watched to boy, not even knowing that his hand was on fire at the same time and burning through the ledge by the window.

Ace didn’t notice until the flames in the room of the boy grew higher and higher. He then noticed that his own hand was on fire. He tried to shake his hand, to get rid of the fire, but found that the fire didn’t hurt him.

Ace began to run away from the house as the flames worked their way higher. He didn’t want to be blamed for the fire, even though it was more of the boy’s fault than his own, but he was sure that his flames were mixed in there somewhere. He ran home as fast as he could.

When Ace turned 16, he learned what it truly meant to be a villain. He would have to fight for his life. If he were ever caught, he would go to prison. Being a villain wasn’t fun, it was surviving.

Ace learned that being a villain was more serious than he thought. He learned that stealing and being on the run was a lifestyle. He learned that he would have to _ kill _ in order to survive.

When Ace turned 16, he decided that he didn’t want to be a villain anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 boys!

When Sabo turned 17, he ran away from his home. His only escape from becoming a hero was to run away from home and change things up a bit.

Sabo didn't actually know where he was going to run to. He's never even really been outside the front door of his house. He was not only on the run from people that were sent to look for him, but the world outside his house proved to be quite hectic. Lower class villains were all over the streets, just waiting to rob someone, and apparently, Sabo, with his fancy clothes, was the perfect target for these villains.

On Sabo's way through the streets, he encountered a man. The man didn't tell Sabo his real name, but he said he went by Pirate King. He asked Sabo to join him. He asked him to become a villain. Sabo, not knowing where else to go, decided that he would check out this whole 'villain' business.

Sabo was brought to a 'secret' lair, which was actually just an old, abandoned apartment building. Most of the windows were blacked out and there were only a few lights in each room. The villain told him all about their plan. They were going to try and reform this world. They were tired of heroes only doing things for money. There were only a few heroes left, Sabo learned, that were true heroes.

Sabo, without a second doubt, joined up with these villains. They, too, believed that heroes nowadays were wrong.

Sabo explained his power to Pirate King and explained his family situation. He hoped that his entire family being heroes wouldn't cause any trouble for them.

Pirate King assured him that unless he hesitated to bring harm to his family, it wouldn't be a problem. He did say that Sabo would have to prove his loyalty, seeing as they couldn't be sure if he was sent as a spy or not.

Sabo could see their concern, so he agreed to Pirate King's test.

Pirate King asked Sabo to take him to his house. Sabo led Pirate King there without hesitation. Pirate King asked Sabo to burn his house down. Normally, Sabo would have hesitated, but after he learned the truth about what his family, he didn't taste a lick of remorse as he watched to flames in his hand burn down his old prison.

With that, Pirate King took Sabo back to their lair and pronounced Sabo an official member of the Villain Alliance. Pirate King then explained that Sabo would have to come up with a villain name, so his true name wouldn't be discovered. He said Sabo might also want to find new clothes that would fit the role of 'villain.'

Sabo said he would work on it.

Pirate King took Sabo to meet some of the other members of the Villain Alliance.

Sabo was glad to have found something better to do in life than become a corrupted hero. This might be his only chance to help change how the world worked. Sure, his title was now 'villain,' but that doesn't mean he can't do anything. His new title could help him raise his reputation, even if it was in a bad way.

There was no better way to live the rest of his life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Ace finally became 17, he ran away from the place he called home, which was really just a secret lair his father had created. The only way he could guarantee that he wouldn't become a villain was to leave his 'home' before his name could get out as one belonging to a villain.

Ace was unsure of where he should actually go to, so he walked and decided to let fate take him to where he needed to go. He walked the familiar streets until the became unfamiliar. He wondered the unfamiliar streets until he found himself at the doorstep of a very large and advanced building.

Ace found himself at the doorstep of the Hero Agency.

There was another boy sitting at the doorstep. He looked even younger than Ace did. He had a scar under his left eye and smiled very brightly when he saw Ace approach the door.

He asked if Ace wanted to be a hero, then told him that he was trying to recruit heroes for his grandfather.

Ace told him that he was related to villains.

The boy said that it didn't matter who his family was, just as long as he didn't want to be apart of his family.

Ace then agreed to become a hero. What better way to show his family that he was never going to become a villain than to become a hero.

The boy said he would take him to his grandfather to prove his loyalty. He was the son of a villain after all.

The boy brought his grandfather out to meet Ace. Ace explained why he wanted to be a hero instead of a villain. He explained how he was basically forced onto the villainous path, but know that he ran away from his family, he finally had a chance to change his fate.

The boy's grandfather said that he was looking for new young heroes and what better candidate than someone that despises his family and has some inside information about said family. The boy's grandfather took him in and decided to teach him the way of a hero.

This was a dream come true for Ace. He didn't have to deal with the constant running and hiding of a villain, or the killing, but he still could find a rival and have endless fights with them. He could find a villain that he could play an ultimate game of cat and mouse with. Besides, the boy on the stairs had looked lonely and like he needed someone his age around.

There was no better way to live the rest of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it seems a little bland right now, but I promise that things will get a little more interesting.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3! Wow, 3 chapters in one day. I don't think I've written this much for a single work in one day before. What an I say, I really dig the plot and the story idea.

_Two years after Sabo joined the Villain Alliance_

The TV played the daily news, as it usually does, as Sabo sat, eating, in the 'cafeteria' of the Villain Alliance's headquarters. News of heroes often played first before it got to the villains. Sabo doesn't pay much mind to the heroes, he only really cares for the villains. He wants to see if anything he or the other villains have done is on the news. He just wants to see how the news crew sees the things they are doing. They usually say everything the villains do is bad. Of course, burning things down is bad, but it's why they are burning stuff down that's important.

"Sabo."

Sabo looked at whoever spoke his name. It was one of the newer villains of the alliance. She went by Koala.

"There's a hero on the news with your same power," she said, pointing to the screen.

Sabo looked to see the news. Sure enough, there was the picture of a man that looked around Sabo's age.

He had black hair, in a similar style to Sabo's. He was wearing a black mask, but his gray, almost silver eyes were clearly visible. He was wearing a tight body suit that started as orange at the bottom, but faded to black speckled with orange at the top. The body suit was covered in silver armour in certain places, like his calves, thighs, forearms, biceps, chest, and back. The armour on his chest and back didn't cover all of it, but it was in more of a 'V' shape. The picture also showed him with the left side of his face, shoulder, and leg on fire. He was raising two fingers on his right hand in the air as if he had just saluted. Underneath him, the red news banner read 'New hero, Solar Flare, stops villain attack at local mall.'

"Never heard of him," Sabo says, taking a bite of his food.

"It says that he debuted as a hero just this year, after his 19th birthday," Koala said, "are you absolutely sure that you don't know someone your same age with your same power?"

"I don't care," Sabo said, "he's just another corrupted hero that we'll have to drag to their knees to make this world better. And yes, I'm 100% sure I have never heard of him before."

Before Koala could say anything else, Pirate King entered the room. Sabo is still yet to learn his real name.

"Sabo, I've got something for you to do," Pirate King spoke.

Sabo shoved the last bite of his food into his mouth, then picked up his mask, hat, and metal pipe. Sabo followed Pirate King into his private room, where he often gave villains their missions.

"What is it this time boss?" Sabo questioned.

"You've heard of the new hero, Solar Flare, correct?" Pirate King asked.

"Yes, Koala just told me," Sabo answered.

"His power, it is very similar to yours," Pirate King began, "actually, it is identical to yours."

"And what do you want me to do about this?" Sabo asked.

"I have sent many villains to try and counter Solar Flare's powers, but so far, I have found none. He is stronger than all of the villains I have sent," Pirate King explained.

Sabo nodded, indicating that he was listening and that he understood what Pirate King was saying.

"If he keeps defeating and arresting our villains, we won't have many people left to help us achieve our dream," Pirate King continued, "I know that you are one of the strongest villains to have joined the Alliance, so I want you to cause trouble for Solar Flare and show him that there are villains that are stronger than him."

"I'll do it," Sabo agreed.

"I want you to keep an eye out for him showing himself in public," Pirate King added, "that means you will be doing things undercover for a little bit."

Sabo nodded again. "I understand."

"Alright," Pirate King waved a hand, "you're dismissed."

Sabo didn't say another word as he turned out of Pirate King's 'office' and headed towards his own room, where he kept all of his things.

The nice thing about having a lair in an abandoned apartment building is that there are abandoned apartments that often have beds and other pieces of furniture. Plus, everyone has their own room to keep their personal belongings in.

Sabo's room was on the top floor, right near the rooms of Pirate King and Dragon. He was one of the first members of the Alliance. He joined when the Alliance was still new and only had a few members, but the Alliance has grown rapidly since then.

Sabo made it to his room without any interruptions, which meant that he wouldn't have to tell anyone that he was going undercover. If Koala knew he was going undercover, she would insist that she come with him, seeing as she barely got undercover missions, but she loved them.

To be honest, Sabo didn't like undercover missions that much because if anyone from his family managed to survive the fire 2 years ago, they would recognize him instantly from the scar over his left eye.

Sabo really didn't want someone to recognize him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Two years after Ace was invited to become a hero_

"Solar Flare, huh?" Garp questioned he looked at Ace's new hero costume.

"Don't like it?" Ace asked in response. "Because if you don't, that's too bad, I like it."

"No, it's fine," Garp reassured him.

"Anyway, when do I finally get to start doing hero stuff?" Ace questioned. "I've been waiting to finally get to debut as a hero for 2 years now, so I want to get in on some action."

"Alright, listen closely," Garp began, "I'm sure you've heard of the Villain Alliance, right?"

"Of course," Ace nodded.

"They are our main goal," Garp said, "our goal is to stop them. They cause chaos and turmoil in this world. They are the ones that are murdering innocent people just because they 'have their reasons.'"

"I know that," Ace said, with a little hint of hatred seeping through his voice.

"There is someone in the Alliance that has similar powers to you," Garp continued, "he is one of the strongest villains we have encountered and we believe that you may be the only one that can rival his power. Many of our heroes have tried to stop him, but he's trained for what seems like years to sharpen his skill with fire. I believe that you, however, have stronger fire power than him."

"What's his name?" Ace asked.

Garp looked at Ace in silence for a second, as if to build up suspense. "He goes by Wildfire."

Ace nods, then replies, "Then I guess I'll be fighting fire with fire to put him out."

Garp laughed. "I'm glad I can count on you kid."

"Glad I can be counted upon," Ace smiles.

"Your dismissed," Garp said, waving his hand at Ace, "now go be a hero better than myself."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you it would get more exciting. I guess it's not to the really good part yet, but it's getting there. Thanks for reading my probably trashy writing!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy heckity heck. How am I writing this fic so fast?

Sabo began his mission of tracking down and defeating Solar Flare today. He was sure that he wasn't going to just find Solar Flare standing in the middle of a crowd on the street, so he figured that his mission would take a little more searching than he would want to. Sabo just likes missions that are straight to the point, such as 'go kill this person, they will be at this place at this time,' not the missions that require him to do a little more searching than normal. Plus, there is a chance that someone will recognize him while he is in civilian clothes.

Sabo began his search in the mall that Solar Flare had last been seen in. He was pretty sure Solar Flare wasn't going to be there, but he didn't know where to start with his search.

Sabo then felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw a man, a little shorter than he was. The man had black hair, gray, almost silver eyes, and freckles. He was quite attractive too.

Sabo looked at him with a confused look. He had the same hair and same eyes as Solar Flare, but Solar Flare didn't have freckles, nor was he this short. On the official hero website, it said that Solar Flare should be taller than Sabo. (Yes, Sabo used the official hero website to search up things about Solar Flare).

"Ah, sorry, you were just standing there and seemed a little lost," the man said.

Sabo didn't even notice that he was standing still.

"Oh, I'm not lost, I'm just looking for someone," Sabo said.

"Alright then, sorry to bother you," the man apologized.

He seemed very polite. Sabo would hate to have to kill him if he mentions something that he shouldn't. "That's alright," Sabo reassured him, "thanks anyway."

"If I may ask, who is it that you are looking for?" the man asked. "I might be able to help you look for them."

"Oh, it's just a friend of mine," Sabo answered, not wanting to reveal anything about his mission, "I told them to meet me over here, but they haven't shown up yet."

"Then, do you mind if I wait with you?" the man questioned.

"It's alright, I just texted them and I'm sure they'll show up soon," Sabo replied.

"Okay then," the man said. He then turned around and walked away from Sabo.

Sabo watched him as he left. The man immediately pulled out his phone and called someone, which seemed a little suspicious to Sabo. The man was almost out of view when he looked back at Sabo as he talked and stopped walking.

The man was definitely suspicious of Sabo.

Well, not everyone as burn scars over their left eye.

The man must have recognized Sabo somehow.

Sabo turned away from the man and began to walk away when someone conveniently walked in front of him, only sparing a single glance over his shoulder. The man had started walking back towards Sabo, which caused Sabo to speed up his pace just a bit.

Sabo found a little space between the stairs, where he could duck between and hide from the man.

Sabo watched the man walk, almost run, past him. Sabo waited for another minute or so before he finally decided to leave his hiding place and resume his search for Solar Flare elsewhere, as he could obviously not continue here.

Sabo began walking away when he heard a sudden scream. People were calling for help.

"Sounds like someone's in trouble," Sabo mumbled as he found himself naturally turning around and walking towards the chaos, "the heroes better show up soon, otherwise, things might get worse."

Sabo ducked behind a store and throwing on his villain clothes quickly. He finished by putting on his mask and hat. He didn't have his metal pipe with him, which meant that he was just going to have to figure something out.

Sabo began to walk towards the screams and chaos once again. People didn't even to pay him any mind as they watched the villain. Suddenly, a huge ring of fire began to appear.

"It would seem that today is my lucky day," Sabo said behind his mask.

People were backing away from the ring of fire quickly, not wanting to get burned by it. Sabo, however began to walk towards the ring.

"Hey what do you think you're doing!" someone yelled at Sabo. Apparently, they didn't recognize him from behind.

Sabo turned around. The man froze when he saw the mask that was on Sabo's face. Apparently, he recognized him now.

Sabo looked away from the man and walked straight into the fire. It didn't burn him, seeing as he had requested specially made, fire proof clothes.

Sabo entered the ring of fire and saw the back of the one and only, Solar Flare, along with the face of some unconscious beast. Sabo had never seen them before, so the must be a new villain.

"Solar Flare," Sabo spoke slowly and deeper, making sure that his voice was unrecognizable, "I've been looking for you."

Solar Flare turned to Sabo with a surprised look on his face.

"That's funny," Solar Flare replied, "I've been looking for you too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ace was still on his hunt for Wildfire. He didn't know where to find him, nor did he know where to even look, seeing as Wildfire didn't often show himself in public. But when he did, he really did. If Wildfire was on the news, which was rare, it meant that something really bad had happened. It meant that there was probably a few city blocks that were on fire and already a large body count.

Ace went to the mall where he had seen the last villain from the Alliance. He was pretty sure that Wildfire wouldn't just be standing there, waiting to cause trouble, but Ace didn't know where else to look.

As Ace was wondering around, he found a man with blond hair, in a style similar to his own, just standing there. He looked really lost, so Ace decided to tap on his shoulder.

The man looked at Ace with a confused look. Ace immediately noticed the scar over the man's left eye. There was also another scar peaking out from underneath the collar of his shirt.

"Ah, sorry, you were just standing there and seemed a little lost," Ace explained to the man.

"Oh, I'm not lost, I'm just looking for someone," the man replied.

_What a coincidence, I'm looking for someone too._

"Alright then, sorry to bother you," Ace apologized instead.

"That's alright," the man said, "thanks anyway."

_Just doing my job._

"If I may ask, who is it that you are looking for?" Ace asked. "I might be able to help you look for them." It was his job as a hero to help others, plus, who knows, he might just find Wildfire standing in the middle of the mall, just waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Oh, it's just a friend of mine," the man answered, "I told them to meet me over here, but they haven't shown up yet."

"Then, do you mind if I wait with you?" Ace questioned. He had nothing better to do, so he might as well keep this man some company while he waits.

"It's alright, I just texted them and I'm sure they'll show up soon," the man replied.

"Okay then," Ace said. He could see his reasoning, a man, who he had just met, had offered to stay with him. It did seem a little suspicious. Sure, Ace was a hero, but he was undercover right now, so he couldn't just tell the man that he was Solar Flare and was looking for the infamous villain Wildfire.

With that, Ace turned around and left the man alone. His phone started to buzz. He looked and found that he was getting a call from Garp. He picked it up right away.

**"Ace, we have a new mission for you,"** Garp said.

"I'm on a mission right now," Ace replied.

**"This one's more important."**

"And what is it?"

**"There's a man that's been seen at the mall you are at right now. We believe him to be a villain."**

"What does he look like?"

**"Turn around, I'll direct you to him."**

Ace did was he was told, he turned around and waited for instructions. Ace managed to catch a glimpse of the blond haired man before he suddenly disappeared behind another person.

**"Walk forward."**

Ace began to walk forward.

"What now?"

There wasn't a reply.

"Garp? What now?"

**"Sorry, we just got news on the sighting."**

"And the news is?"

**"He is definitely a villain, he just started attacking some of the shoppers. They say that they don't know who he is. He doesn't have a mask on or anything, he just doesn't match any facial scans we've done. We haven't heard anything one the news from him either. he must be a new villain."**

"Roger that, I'll hurry things up a bit."

Ace sped up to almost a run. He needed to find a place where he could switch out his clothes, or he could pull the classic, 'Officer Portgas D. Ace of the GLPD, you are under arrest for assault on innocent people and for using your powers in public without a proper license,' but Garp didn't like when he did that, so he'd just have to find a bathroom or something to change into.

Ace ran by a bathroom, he almost didn't see it, but he barely managed to catch a glimpse of the 'RESTROOM' sign above the door. He turned around and into the bathroom. He double checked that there was no one there, then he engulfed himself in fire. It was his 'secret' way of changing into his hero outfit. He had it specially designed with the DNA of his hair so that it could turn into fire with him and so it could be easily transported with the fire. He always had his costume with him, just in case things got a little dicey while he was undercover.

Once he was finally dressed, he ran out of the bathroom. Many people gave him looks as he ran by, realizing that he was the hero Solar Flare running by.

Ace made it to the villain and found that they had a transformation power. They had transformed themselves into what seemed to be a werewolf. He stopped in front of the villain, making it turn it's attention towards Ace.

"Stay back!" Ace ordered the people that were just standing around.

The people obeyed quickly.

"I'll try to deal with this quickly," Ace said.

The beast looked at Ace with his mouth open. It was lined with teeth, where blood and drool was clearly visible.

Ace quickly surrounded him and the beast in a ring of fire, not wanting any civilians to get hurt if the beast decided to attack. Ace used his iconic 'Fire Fist' move on the beast, which knocked the beast out very quickly.

Ace was surprised. Usually, if villains attacked during the day, they were very strong and wanted to prove that by attacking in broad daylight. That meant that there was more to this villain attack.

"Solar Flare," a deep voice spoke slowly, "I've been looking for you."

Ace turned around and found himself staring at a mask that he'd seen on TV. It was a full face mask. It's base colour was white, and it had a face painted on the front. The eyes of the face were red circles and the mouth was a big red smile that ran from one edge of the mask to the other.

"That's funny," Ace almost laughed at how ironic this was, "I've been looking for you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all, I heckin' love writing this trash and I hope y'all are enjoying it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeet! Chapter 5!

Sabo now stood somewhere he would have never thought he would. He stared straight into the silver eyes of Solar Flare, the hero that appeared out of nowhere with an identical power to Sabo's.

It's not impossible for people to have similar powers, but powers that are absolutely identical? It just isn't heard of.

Yet... here Sabo was, looking at someone with the _exact_ same power as Sabo. It's almost like they were twins separated at birth. Koala did say that Solar Flare was his same age. They also had the same hair style and where around the same height. (When Sabo isn't wearing his hat).

Now that they were close together, Sabo could see that Solar Flare was indeed taller than him, nor did he have freckles, unless they were being hidden underneath that mask of his.

"Well, what a coincidence, we were both looking for each other, and now here we are," Sabo said.

"It's a shame that only one of us is going to leave though," Solar Flare responded.

Sabo frowned beneath his mask.

"That would be no fun," Sabo said.

"Being a villain is no fun," Solar Flare responded.

"And being a hero is just signing up for corruption," Sabo said.

"And what makes you think that?" Solar Flare asked.

"Same question goes to you," Sabo replied.

"We aren't getting anywhere like this," Solar Flare sighed.

"You don't think so?" Sabo questioned.

Solar Flare didn't answer him, but instead sent his famous 'Fire Fist' towards Sabo. Sabo turned himself into fire and let the fist pass right through him.

"I say we have ourselves a fight," Sabo suggested as he disappeared into the ring of fire, "I want to see whose fire is stronger. The hero? Or the villain?"

Solar Flare looked around for where Sabo could have gone. Sabo moved behind Solar Flare, lit his hand on fire, then gave Solar Flare the good ol' 'Dragon Claw to the ribs.' Solar Flare threw his own flaming fist into Sabo's face as his other hand shot up to force Sabo to release the hold he had on his ribs. Sabo moved his face out of the way and made sure he broke at least a few of Solar Flare's ribs before he backed off.

"Sorry," Sabo apologized, "that looked like it hurt."

Solar Flare held onto his injured right side and left his right hand on fire incase he needed to use it. Solar Flare tried moving towards Sabo, but Sabo held up a hand, halting his movements.

"Try not to work too hard, you might puncture a lung," Sabo warned.

Despite this, Solar Flare continued to move. He ended up letting go of his side and lighting both hands on fire as he charged towards Sabo.

Sabo stepped to the side and raised a flaming foot and struck Solar Flare in the back, causing him to fall. Sabo grabbed Solar Flare by the back of his neck and raised him up to the ring of fire. Sabo squeezed as hard as he could. He couldn't help the smile that came onto his face behind his mask.

Sabo felt a foot collide with his shin. Sabo winced in pain and let go of Solar Flare, dropping him back to the ground.

_Curse Solar Flare and his metal boots._

"Sorry," Solar Flare apologized, "that looked like it hurt."

Sabo frowned under his mask and lit his right hand on fire and charged towards Solar Flare, who was still getting up from the ground.

Solar Flare dodged by rolling and grabbed Sabo by his leg, pulling him to the ground with him. From there, Solar Flare placed his metal booted foot on Sabo's neck. Solar Flare didn't press very hard against Sabo's neck, which gave Sabo an opening.

"The thing about you heroes," Sabo began as he grabbed onto Solar Flare's leg, flipping Solar Flare to his knees, placing his foot on his back, and pulling Solar Flare's right arm behind his back, "is that you are too hesitant to fight us with the intent to kill." Sabo placed his other hand on Solar Flare's shoulder and squeezed until he felt and heard the sound of bone's cracking.

Solar Flare was clearly gritting his teeth as he was trying to bear through the pain. The massive size of the ring of fire also seemed to shrink a bit.

"Well, the thing about you villains," Solar Flare said as he turn himself into fire, causing Sabo's foot to slam down into nothing, "is that you are too hasty to kill." Solar Flare showed up behind Sabo, raising a fist towards Sabo.

Sabo quickly lit a hand on fire and struck Solar Flare in the face. Solar Flare's eyes seemed to roll back as he suddenly fell onto the ground. Blood had started running from where Sabo had hit him. The fire ring that surrounded them began to disappear.

With the fire ring gone, people began to talk.

"Isn't that Wildfire?"

"What's he doing here?"

"How come Solar Flare is on the ground?"

"Is Solar Flare bleeding?"

"Did he beat Solar Flare?"

Sabo turned to face all of the civilians that just stood there, looking, but not doing anything to help the injured hero. He might as well cause a little bit of mayhem now that he was out in public. Sabo placed a flaming hand onto the ground. It took a little while to light, but soon, the ground was on fire. People began to run away from the fire, not even caring for their precious hero, as they cried for help.

Just as Sabo was about to walk away, he heard a phone buzz. He checked his own, then realized that it was coming from Solar Flare. He halted the flames around Solar Flare for a moment as he walked to the heroes unconscious body. He found that Solar Flare had a holographic communicator. Sabo squatted down next Solar Flare and answered the call. He faced the holographic screen towards his face. He was met with the face of what seemed to be an old man.

**"You're not Solar Flare," **the old man spoke.

"No, I'm not," Sabo replied.

**"Wildfire."**

"That is what I go by."

**"Where's Solar Flare?"**

"Oh, don't worry, he's not dead."

**"What did you do to him?"**

"Oh, you know, this and that. But, you might want to get here. He may be immune to his own fire, but mine is a little different than his. Also, if he isn't burned, then he'll be crushed by the ceiling, or, you know what, he might even bleed out first. You can never be too certain of what could happen. After all, there are so many ways to die."

_ **"What did you do?"** _

"I'll just say, things are going to get a little... _wild._"

Sabo ended the call before the old man could say anything else. He then stood and walked through the flaming building. He stopped holding back the flames and let them ungulf the area that had been flameless before. The fire had spread quite quickly while he was talking to the old man. He strengthened the flames' power as he made his way to the exit. He passed by many people who were laying on the ground, already quite burned. They were holding arms out toward him, hoping that by some miracle, he was there to save them.

But he wasn't there to help. He wasn't a hero.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ace didn't think that he would find Wildfire here, of all places. Ace had just come here on a whim because he didn't know where else to go.

But here he was, standing in front of the masked man. The one with the same power as him.

"Well, what a coincidence, we were both looking for each other, and now here we are," Wildfire said.

"It's a shame that only one of us is going to leave though," Ace responded.

"That would be no fun," Wildfire said.

"Being a villain is no fun," Ace responded.

"And being a hero is just signing up for corruption," Wildfire said.

"And what makes you think that?" Ace asked.

"Same question goes to you," Wildfire retorted.

"We aren't getting anywhere like this," Ace sighed, mentally face palming.

"You don't think so?" Wildfire questioned.

Ace didn't answer the villain, he readied a fist and sent his Fire Fist towards Wildfire, who dodged it by turning himself into fire.

"I say we have ourselves a fight," Wildfire suggested, moving his fire form into the ring of fire that surrounded them, "I want to see whose fire is stronger. The hero? Or the villain?" His voice seemed to echo all through the ring.

Ace looked around for Wildfire, but didn't see the villain anywhere.

By the time Ace had realized that Wildfire was behind him, Ace had a flaming hand crushing his ribs.

Ace threw his own flaming fist into Wildfire's face in defense and used his other hand to try and remove Wildfire's hand from his side. Wildfire had easily dodged the fist aimed towards his face and squeezed Ace's side a little harder until Ace heard a slight crack and a sudden pain shot through him. Wildfire then let go of his side and jumped away from Ace, closer to the edge of the ring of fire.

"Sorry," Wildfire apologized, although he didn't seem all that apologetic, "that looked like it hurt."

Ace held his injured right side for a moment as he lit his right hand on fire. Ace took a step towards the villain, as if warning the villain that he was getting ready to attack.

Wildfire raised a hand and Ace stopped his advancement towards the villain.

"Try not to work too hard, you might puncture a lung," Wildfire warned.

Ace let out a low growl, that Wildfire wouldn't have been able to hear, as he removed his left hand from his injured ribs and lit it on fire. He then ran towards the villain, ready to strike him with one of his flaming fists.

Wildfire simply stepped to the side to dodge the attack. A sudden pain in his back caused Ace too fall to the ground with a small grunt. Wildfire then grabbed Ace by the back of his neck and raised him off of the ground a bit.

Ace stared at the ring of fire that surrounded them. The arm around his neck had tightened and he could feel his oxygen intake stopping. Ace had to do something before he passed out, so he swung his foot backwards and into the shin of the villain. He could practically feel the villain wince as he dropped Ace to the floor.

_I've never been more glad that Garp suggested that I get metal boots than at this moment._

"Sorry," Ace apologized, deciding to play the villain's game, "that looked like it hurt."

As Ace was getting up from the ground, Wildfire was lighting his right hand on fire and throwing it towards Ace. Ace practically rolled to dodge the attack,then he grabbed Wildfire's leg and pulled him to the ground. Ace then placed his foot on Wildfire's neck. It wasn't enough pressure to actually choke him, but it did pose enough of a threat that Wildfire might not move.

"The thing about you heroes," Wildfire began as he suddenly grabbed onto Ace's leg. He flipped Ace to his knees, placing his foot on his back, and pulling Ace's right arm behind his back tightly, "is that you are too hesitant to fight us with the intent to kill."

Wildfire placed his free hand on Ace's shoulder. He began tightening his grip until there was a loud 'crack' and Ace's shoulder was suddenly filled with pain.

Ace grit his teeth through the pain. He felt his power shrinking. The ring of fire had faltered, shrinking down in size.

"Well, the thing about you villains," Ace said as he turn himself into fire, once again, playing the villain's game, "is that you are too hasty to kill." Ace moved behind Wildfire and raised a fist towards the villain.

Although, Wildfire's instincts were incredible fast. By the time Ace had come close to the villain, Wildfire already had his flaming hand at Ace's head.

Before Ace knew it, a warm liquid was trickling down his head and he felt himself falling. The last thing he saw was the smiling mask of Wildfire.

_Corruption? The only one corrupted is you. After all, I'm a hero. I'm not-_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yoink! The fight scene is probably really trashy. Thanks for reading my trashy content!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all, listen, I'm starting school, so first: OOF, and second: I won't be able to update this much, sooooo... Anyway, I will still probably post one chapter a day, so you'll still get some content from me. Also, sorry for not posting yesterday. My sister-in-law just had her first baby and we went to go see him. Also, it was the first day of school. Again, sorry!

Sabo got back to headquarters and found everyone, that was in the main room, crowded around the TV.

Koala was the only one that looked his way. "Well done _Wildfire_. That was really impressive."

Everyone looked towards Sabo when Koala mentioned his name.

"Good job!"

"You really showed that hero who's the top dog in this town!"

Sabo listened to the praises of the other villains. He didn't care much for praise, but he didn't mind when the lesser known villains fawned all over him

The Alliance had some celebratory drinks, but Sabo just ate some food. He didn't care much for parties, so he left to his room after he finished eating. He told Koala that he was leaving, then he walked up the several stories of stairs and down the hallway to his room.

Seeing as Sabo rarely showed up in public, and because Solar Flare now had several broken ribs and a broken shoulder, he wasn't going to show up in public for a while. Besides, hee never had little jobs, like stealing, either. The big jobs, such as assassination and arson, only came in every so often. Those big jobs were the only ones that he actually got.

After all, burning buildings to ash and burning bodies beyond recognition was his specialty.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ace woke up in a hospital bed. Garp and Luffy were sitting in chairs next to his bed. They were talking to someone that looked vaguely familiar, but Ace didn't remember where.

"Ace! You're awake!" Luffy exclaimed as he wrapped his rubber arms around Ace in a hug.

"Ah, good," Garp said, turning Ace's way.

Ace tried to sit up, but the familiar faced man pushed him back into the bed.

"Lay down, I don't want you pulling your stitches or messing up the broken ribs I managed to put together," the man said.

"What happened?" Ace questioned as he allowed himself to be held down by the man.

"Wildfire," Garp said.

Ace flinched at the name of the villain.

"He broke four ribs and basically completely shattered your shoulder blade. You also might have a minor concussion," Garp explained. "If it weren't for Law here, you might have lost that right arm of yours for good."

"That's where I recognize his face," Ace said.

Ace tried breathing in, but found himself in pain from the action.

"Try not to take deep breaths, or else your lungs will touch your broken bones," Law explained, "it's best to take quick, shallow breaths."

"Roger that," Ace nodded. After a little pause, Ace decided to ask, "How long am I going to be in the hospital?"

"You're technically not in a hospital, it's my private infirmary," Garp pointed out.

"Two or more weeks," Law said.

"I can't be in here for two weeks!" Ace began to yell, but stopped once he felt the sharp pain in his chest again.

"You'll be in here for longer if you keep doing that," Law sighed.

"I have crime to stop," Ace added.

"There are other heroes you know," Garp said.

"Yeah! Like me!" Luffy exclaimed, raising both his arms into the air.

"Not yet Luffy, you've got two more years," Garp sighed.

"But I've got a reputation to keep up," Ace continued.

"Everyone knows what happened at the mall now," Garp said, "everyone knows that you won't be in action for a little while. It's been all over the news."

Ace seemed to tense up just a bit.

"Don't let this one fight get to you," Garp began, placing a hand on Ace's non injured shoulder. "You'll fail sometimes. Everyone will make a big deal about, but once you get another big win, people will forget about the failures. I speak from experience."

Ace gave Garp a small smile in thanks.

"Anyway, we're going to leave you to the doctor now," Garp said, "we've got to answer some press questions about your injury. Don't worry, we won't actually say anything."

"Thanks Garp," Ace nodded. "Hey, Luffy."

Luffy looked to Ace with interest.

"When you become a hero, be careful," Ace said.

Luffy gave Ace his iconic big smile, then left the room with Garp, leaving just Ace and Law in the room.

"Now that they're gone, I'm going to give you the more serious details of your injuries," Law said, sitting down in one of the chairs.

The smile, though small, fell from his face. If there was more to talk about, Ace knew that it definitely wasn't something good.

"Your right shoulder," Law began. "They right shoulder blade, it was basically shattered. I might have had to amputate that arm of yours because it was beyond fixing, and bone replacements are nearly impossible to get, but I managed to find a way to salvage the bone and put some of it back together. I doubt you'll ever really be able to use that arm of yours properly, like you did before it broke, but at least you'll even have an arm."

Law paused to let Ace take in all the information. He continued talking after Ace gave him a small nod.

"You also had a minor concussion, so it's not too serious. Anyway," Law continued, "your ribs should heal up fine, just like the concussion. The only thing I really am worried about is that arm of yours, but I'm hoping that you will be able to use it just fine with enough time."

It took Ace a second to assess all of the information he was given. He might not be able to use his right arm properly because of that damned villain.

That meant that there was a price for the villain to pay. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.

_An arm for an arm._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all're chill.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wild and Funky!

Sabo didn't intend to get back to work for a while, but it turned out there were other heroes that needed to be shown their place. They needed to be shown that things don't always go their way and that they aren't the strongest there is.

Sabo didn't end up having to kill anyone, which was kind of disappointing. He really enjoyed those missions, seeing as he didn't get them that often and they were different from his usual mission. But, just because he hasn't got any missions for it, doesn't mean that he can't do it every once in a while.

Sabo's only job, for now, was dealing with some of the other heroes while he waited for Solar Flare to recover from his injuries. He had just finished with dealing with a hero, named Smoker, who has a history with Solar Flare. Smoker and Solar Flare had a bit of a rivalry for a little while.

Sabo had done some more research on Solar Flare as well. He wasn't able to find out a lot about Solar Flare's current predicament, but he was able to learn some fun facts about Solar Flare that he would probably never really be able to use again.

Sabo did also manage to find that Ace worked under the retired Hero, Garp, and that he had an adoptive brother, whose name is unknown.

"Sabo, I've got something for you," Koala said, barging into Sabo's room without even bothering to knock.

Sabo turned to the girl with interest.

"We have news that Solar Flare might be getting back into action soon," Koala said. "There was an interview recently, and Solar Flare actually showed up to it. He didn't even seem to have any bandages on at all. There was a question about him getting back to work and he said that he'll get back as soon as he can, which based on how he talked about his injuries, shouldn't be too long.

"Thanks, I'll get back to work shortly then," Sabo said, taking off his hat and hanging it on his coat hanger, along with his coat and mask.

"Right," Koala nodded, leaving Sabo's doorway and closing the door behind her.

Sabo sighed as he lied on his bed. He was always busy in the Alliance. He was always on jobs. Most of his jobs weren't even recognized by the public, which was upsetting.

He really couldn't wait to get back to work with Solar Flare. People will definitely notice if he continues to beat Solar Flare. He might finally be able to make a statement with it.

Just then, there was a knock at his door.

"Sabo," the voice from outside said.

"I'm listening," Sabo replied.

"Something new," they said.

A piece of paper was slipped underneath Sabo's door.

Sabo walked to the door and picked up the paper. He unfolded it and the first thing he noticed was the big letters that read, 'KILL MISSION.' A gleeful feeling came over Sabo.

Finally, after all of his less exciting missions, he got something good.

The next thing he read, was the name on the paper. 'MONKEY D. LUFFY.' This was something he could do. He just needed to figure out who this Monkey D. Luffy was, and the mission was as good as done already. Just underneath the name read, 'BEGIN TOMORROW.'

Sabo placed the paper onto the nightstand right next to his bed. He doubted that he would forget getting a mission like this, but he wanted to keep it there just in case.

After all the events of the night were settled, Sabo was finally able to lay down and get some sleep.

Well, he _tried_ to get some sleep, but it proves to be difficult when you've got something that keeps racing through your mind.

_Murder._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ace was finally allowed to leave the infirmary, for an interview only, by Law. Ace had insisted that he didn't wear his bandages, seeing as he was trying to look as professional as he could. Law wasn't too fond of this idea, but then decided that he didn't care what Ace did, as long as it didn't ruin his hard work.

Ace was constantly asked about his injuries and when he was going to get back to work. He answered those all with basically the same answers over and over again.

"My injuries aren't all that bad." Which was very much a lie. He could barely use his right arm.

"I plan to get back to work soon." Another lie. He wasn't going to be allowed to get back to work until Law allowed him to get back to work.

There was one question that really caught his attention and made him flinch when he heard it.

"What are you going to do about Wildfire? He's clearly stronger than you, but we can't have a villain like him running around the streets freely, without anyone strong enough to stop him," the reporter had asked.

It took Ace a little bit to think before he answered the question.

"I plan on stopping him. We have very similar powers, so it's obvious that I should be able to fight him. Last time, he just caught me when I was off guard and right after I had just defeated another villain. I wasn't prepared for his attack, but if I had been prepared, the fight would have ended up much differently." Was the answer Ace ended up giving. It was partly lie. He did prepare on finding some way of stopping Wildfire, but he wasn't tired at all from fighting the other villain. He was at nearly his best.

But clearly, his best wasn't good enough. He was going to have to be more precise with his battle planning. He was going to have to get stronger. He was also going to have to be able to use his right arm again. He couldn't to everything he had to as a hero if he could only use one arm. He might talk to someone about getting some cyborg parts. Law might be willing to get rid of his right arm and help attach any new limbs.

He'd have to save that for another day though, right now, he was tired and wanted to sleep. Being in a hospital bed just made Ace tired, but he found it difficult to fall asleep in the hospital bed. Law had also allowed him to sleep in his own bed, which meant that Ace would be able to fall asleep quickly and get a decent sleep.

As Ace prepared to sleep, he only had one thought on his mind, which made it quite easy to fall asleep with such a calm mind. He could only thing about getting revenge. Getting revenge on that man. On that villain. The villain that made him flinch every single time his name was heard. The villain that he hated above all others. The villain that owed him an arm.

_Wildfire._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do y'all even read these?


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What fun!

Sabo woke up early in the morning. He was too excited for his new mission to even sleep in like he often found himself doing. He would probably have to do some research on Monkey D. Luffy first, but it shouldn't be too hard because of the technology that the Alliance has.

Sabo dressed in his usual villain attire and began to head downstairs to eat something before he went to talk to Eustass about getting what he needed about Monkey D. Luffy. Eustass was a valuable asset to the Alliance. He was older than Sabo, but joined later than him. He was good with technology and anything that contains metal. It might have something to do with his power, but Sabo isn't all that sure of what his power even is.

"Morning Sabo," Koala greeted him as he sat down to get his breakfast. "I'm guessing you've got another mission?"

"Assassination," Sabo replied.

"Really?" Koala questioned. "You haven't had one of those in a while. Who is it this time?"

"Monkey D. Luffy," Sabo answered.

"Never heard of him," Koala shrugged.

"Neither have I. I'm going to see Eustass after I eat though," Sabo explained.

"Who requested it?" Koala asked.

"I'll go talk to Pirate King about it," Sabo said as he finally received his food and began to eat it.

"Well, good luck then," Koala said, standing up from her seat. "I've got a mission of my own. I've got a jeweler store to rob." With that, Koala gave Sabo a wave and took off out the door.

Sabo finished up his food quickly, put on his mask, then headed towards the basement, where Eustass dweled, away from the other villains and unable to be tracked by the heroes.

"I need everything you've got on Monkey D. Luffy," Sabo said as he finally reached to bottom step and saw Eustass sitting in front of a display of several screens.

"What makes you think I want to give it to you?" Eustass questioned.

"Assassination mission," Sabo answered.

Without another word, Eustass went to work, pulling up any information he could about Monkey D. Luffy.

"Age: 17. Hero in training underneath the old hero, Garp. He was last seen entering Garp's hero association with an unknown man. His power appears to be the ability to stretch himself with the consistency of rubber, so he'd probably be immune to most physical attacks. Your fire might work though, although, the smell of burning rubber would be quite rancid," Eustass read off of his screen.

"Is there anything else I might need to know?" Sabo asked.

"He's recently been seen the most on the fourth floor of Garp's building. He might be living there. It's the second room on the left when you look at the building from the front," Eustass added.

Sabo looked at the picture of the young boy. He had a ridiculous smile on and a scar underneath his eye. He looked like he would be easy to find, and easy to kill.

"Thanks Kid," Sabo thanked as he left the room and went up the stairs.

He didn't hear Eustass say anything else as he left, so he took it that he had everything he needed.

With his new found information, Sabo made his way to the entrance of the Alliance building. He left without even bothering to look at anyone that was in the main room. They usually knew better than to talk to him when he was heading out on a mission, especially a mission in the middle of the day.

Sabo mostly traveled through the shadows, staying close to alleyways and out of large crowds. He was able to make it to Garp's building without any big incidents, well, one person had seen him, but he took care of it with a quick metal pipe to the head.

Sabo stood in front of the large building. He found that the second room on the left of the fourth floor was one of the only rooms with it's windows open, which was both strange, but also very convenient for him. It meant that he would be able to enter the building without causing high alert.

Sabo walked towards the building. He found that he could probably use his fire to propel himself into the window. So he did exactly that.

Sabo stepped onto the windowsill. He peered into the room. He found exactly what he was looking for. There he was, standing with his back towards the window. He was completely unaware of what was going on behind him.

Sabo took a slow and quiet step into the room. He eventually got his second foot into the room and began to walk slowly forward. His left hand was on his metal pole. Eustass had told him that physical attacks, but it was his natural instinct to have it within his grasp, just in case he needed it.

Someone grabbed onto Sabo's right arm.

Sabo didn't even have time to look at the owner of the arm when he was suddenly engulfed in flames. The arm dragged him towards him back towards the window.

"Don't touch him," the voice, who Sabo figured was Solar Flare, based on the fire, said.

The flaming hand on Sabo's arm grew hotter.

Sabo swore that for a moment, the flames that burned his arm were blue, but they returned back to red once Sabo was thrown out the window with Solar Flare right behind him.

Solar Flare must have used his fire to change into his hero costume because his bare hand was now gloved.

Sabo landed on the ground very hard. He wouldn't be surprised if he broke a bone or two from the fall. His metal pipe did nothing to break his fall either. A weight then sat on him, keeping him pinned to the ground.

Solar Flare had sat on Sabo, to keep him pinned. Solar Flare still was holding onto Sabo's right hand with his left and it was still very much on fire. Sabo could feel a burning sensation in his arm. His clothes were fireproof, but Solar Flare was being really relentless about his flame, so it might manage to burn him a little bit.

"Don't even think about trying to touch my little brother ever again," Solar Flare said sternly.

"I didn't expect you to show up," Sabo responded. "I thought you were still recovering."

"I was," Solar Flare said. "But _someone_ decided to sneak through my brother's window and try to kill him."

"I guess that would prove to be problem," Sabo smiled under his mask. Sabo's gaze then fell to Solar Flare's right arm, which just hung there motionless. "I thought you might have lost that arm. I was pretty sure that I completely shattered your shoulder blade. Or, maybe you were somehow able to find a replacement for it."

"I did lose my arm!" Solar Flare shouted. "I may never be able to use this arm again because of you!" Solar Flare's grip grew stronger on Sabo's arm. Solar Flare also moved one of his feet up to Sabo's shoulder. "Don't you think it would be fair if I repay the favour?" Solar Flare questioned as he pressed hard against Sabo's shoulder.

"It wouldn't be very hero like, that's for sure," Sabo replied.

"Well, every hero slips up every once in a while," Solar Flare shrugged, pressing his foot even harder against Sabo's shoulder. "Besides, everyone's used to hearing about a hero beating up a villain, no matter how bad it may be. Sure, shattering a shoulder blade is a little serious, but no one really cares about what happens to the villain, as long as the hero wins."

With another hard press of his metal boot, Sabo felt his arm cracking. It wasn't just his shoulder blade, it was his entire arm. He could feel the bone in his upper arm breaking from Solar Flare's foot and his shoulder blade breaking from how hard he was being pressed against the concrete underneath him. There was also the fact that he was still on fire.

With a sudden 'crack,' Sabo knew that at least one of his bones was now broken, but the pain didn't stop there. Solar Flare continued to press on Sabo's arm.

Sabo's face turned into a grimace underneath his mask as he bit his lip to keep himself from crying out in pain.

After a few more snaps, Solar Flare finally stopped when a voice called his name.

"What are you doing?" the voice asked.

Sabo looked up at the window and found the person he was supposed to kill. Monkey D. Luffy.

With that voice, Solar Flare's flames fell to a smaller size, but were still very prominent and Solar Flare looked up towards the boy as well. "Luffy, call the police. I've caught Wildfire. He needs to be taken into custody immediately," Solar Flare ordered the boy.

Monkey D. Luffy disappeared into his room again, most likely to call the police.

"Sorry Wildfire, but it would seem that your fire has finally been put out," Solar Flare smirked.

Sabo raised his left hand and tried to burn Solar Flare, but found himself unable to use his fire. Sabo then saw the handcuffs that were attached to his left arm.

"Seastone," Solar Flare began. "It makes it completely impossible for you to use your powers. Even touching them eliminates your powers."

"How did you get them on?" Sabo asked.

"I had some help," Solar Flare said, glancing up towards the window. "When I first lit you on fire, my brother immediately figured out what was going on and took action, even though he had to touch seastone and stick his arms into fire, he wanted to make sure that I had a guaranteed victory."

The sound of sirens was faint to Sabo's ears.

As it turns out, even he can end up getting captured. Even he can end up in prison.

_Even he can end up losing._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It didn't take long for Ace to notice that someone was standing on the windowsill of Luffy's room. He slowly got off of the bed and walked towards the window as the person at the window began to step into the room.

By the time the person had full entered the room, Ace had realized just who it was.

_Wildfire._

The one that he wanted revenge on the most. And here he was, trying to, most likely, kill his brother.

Ace grabbed onto Wildfire's right arm and before Wildfire had a chance to react, Ace lit Wildfire on fire.

Ace saw Luffy look to him. Luffy looked to the drawer where Luffy kept a secret pair of seastone handcuffs, just incase something like this happened. Ace nodded towards his adoptive brother. Luffy nodded back and quickly ran to get the handcuffs, then attached them to Wildfire's left arm.

Ace then began to drag Wildfire towards the window.

"Don't touch him," Ace hissed at the villain.

Ace could have sworn that his fire turned blue for a second, but it quickly changed back to red as he finally dragged the villain out the window and followed after him. Ace had also managed to change into his hero uniform as they fell four stories to the ground. Ace used the villain to cushion his fall, then he sat on top of the villain, keeping him pinned to the ground.

"Don't even think about trying to touch my little brother ever again," Ace said, his voice dripping with venom and hatred towards the villain.

"I didn't expect you to show up," Wildfire responded. "I thought you were still recovering."

"I was," Ace said. "But _someone_ decided to sneak through my brother's window and try to kill him."

The truth was, Ace was supposed to be in the infirmary, but he was hiding from Law in Luffy's room, which apparently was the right decision, seeing as Luffy was almost attacked and probably murdered.

"I guess that would prove to be problem," Wildfire said.

Ace could practically hear him smile under that mask of his.

Wildfire's mask tiled towards Ace's right arm, which hung at his side. "I thought you might have lost that arm. I was pretty sure that I completely shattered your shoulder blade. Or, maybe you were somehow able to find a replacement for it," Wildfire said.

"I did lose my arm!" Ace shouted, a sudden wave of anger coming over him. This man almost caused him to lose his arm, then he had the gall to try and _attack_ his _brother_. Now the villain was acting so natural, as if nothing had really happened at all. "I may never be able to use this arm again because of you!" Ace increased the strength of his grip on Wildfire's arm. Ace had also moved one of his feet up to the villain's shoulder. "Don't you think it would be fair if I repay the favour?" Ace then questioned as he pressed his metal boot hard against Wildfire's shoulder.

"It wouldn't be very hero like, that's for sure," Wildfire replied. Ace swore that he heard a small laugh from the villain.

"Well, every hero slips up every once in a while," Ace shrugged, pressing even harder against the villain's shoulder. "Besides, everyone's used to hearing about a hero beating up a villain, no matter how bad it may be. Sure, shattering a shoulder blade is a little serious, but no one really cares about what happens to the villain, as long as the hero wins."

With another hard press of his foot, Ace was pretty sure that he could feel the villain's bones starting to crack beneath his foot. It gave him just a little thrill of excitement to finally get his revenge on the villain.

A cracking sound seemed to echo through the air. Ace knew that he had broken at least one of Wildfire's bones, but he didn't stop pressing there. He intended to get his full revenge.

_An arm for an arm._

Ace continued pressing. He heard a few more snaps along the way.

"Solar Flare."

Ace immediately stopped pressing at the voice of his younger brother.

"What are you doing?" Luffy asked.

Ace made his flames die down just a bit as he looked up towards Luffy and spoke. "Luffy, call the police. I've caught Wildfire. He needs to be taken into custody immediately," Ace demanded.

Luffy gave a slight nod, then went back into his room to call the police.

"Sorry Wildfire, but it would seem that your fire has finally been put out," Ace smirked.

Ace watched the villain try to burn Ace, but ended up failing. Ace looked at the seastone handcuffs that hung from Wildfire's wrist.

"Seastone," Ace began. Luffy had done a good job getting them on. "It makes it completely impossible for you to use your powers. Even touching them eliminates your powers."

"How did you get them on?" Wildfire asked.

"I had some help," Ace said, glancing up towards the window where Luffy no longer stood. "When I first lit you on fire, my brother immediately figured out what was going on and took action, even though he had to touch seastone and stick his arms into fire, he wanted to make sure that I had a guaranteed victory."

Ace could hear the faint sound of sirens.

Finally, he got his revenge. Even though it was a little easier than he thought. He had finally won. Even if it had been harder.

_He wouldn't have stopped until he won._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's party!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it's a little short.

Sabo was brought into a specially designed prison cell. The entire thing was made of seastone, plus he was still cuffed with seastone as a safety precaution. Sabo wasn't visited by anyone down here, not even the guards. It was miserable. It was dark and damp. There was nothing to do either.

But, he had somehow convinced them to let him leave his mask on after telling them that they would be struck with fear and unable to move if they caught a glimpse of his real face. He told them that he was covered in scars from his own fire that caused him to look like a monster.

Although, in reality, his unmasked face looked quite 'sweet and innocent, not scary at all.' Well, that was according to Koala.

The prison guards didn't even bother to change him into different clothes. All they did was take his metal pipe and pat him down to make sure he had no other weapons, then they just threw him into this cell.

There were some other cells down here though. There were people in them too. The cells full of all the most dangerous villains and criminals. Sabo even recognized a few of them. There were some with the faces of old Alliance members. No one had bothered to come for them.

The Alliance didn't really care about rescuing their members. They could always find new villains to replace them. Sabo didn't have any hope of rescue from the Alliance, so he would just have to figure something out himself.

"Is that you Wildfire?" one of the other prisoners asked Sabo.

"Yeah, who's asking?" Sabo replied.

"It's me, Hack, from the Alliance," the prisoner, he now knew as one of the former Alliance members, Hack.

"Well, fancy seeing you here," Sabo said, leaning back against the wall of cell.

"How on earth did they manage to catch you?" Hack asked.

"Solar Flare caught me off guard," Sabo explained, "I was on an assassination mission that I would have been able to finish quickly, but it turned out that the target wasn't alone. Solar Flare was with him and threw me out of a fourth floor window." Sabo laughed a bit. "He also broke my right shoulder."

"How long do you think it will take for the Alliance to come for you?" Hack asked.

"They probably won't come," Sabo answered. "They don't usually care for those that get caught. They can always replace us."

"They'll come for you," Hack then said.

"What makes you say that?" Sabo questioned.

"You're too valuable to them," Hack answered. "You're not someone that they can replace easily. You were one of their oldest members, not to mention one of their best. They are going to come for you."

"We'll see," Sabo said with a small sigh. 

Just then, before the silence could get too thick, the door from above opened and shut quickly.

Sabo turned to see just who had come down to this part of the prison.

It was just one of the guards, but they had come straight to Sabo's cell and began to unlock the door.

"What's going on?" Sabo questioned as he began to stand.

"You're out on bail," the guard explained as he took Sabo by the arm, he made sure it was the left, then began to guide Sabo out of the prison.

"Who paid for it? I didn't even think you could be bailed out with the sentence I had," Sabo said.

"Neither did I, but some guy by the name of Gol D. Roger paid for you to be released," the guard explained as they walked up the stairs of the seastone prison.

It didn't take long for them to reach the entrance of the prison. Sabo was soon released from his seastone handcuffs. He was allowed to just walk out of the prison. They kept his metal pipe though, which meant that he was going to have to find a new one.

No one bothered to stop Sabo from walking out of prison, they just stared at him with slight hints of fear in their eyes.

Who knew that a villain, arrested on extreme charges of theft, arson, and murder, could just walk out of prison after only being there for a single day.

Sabo would have to be sure to find out who this Gol D. Roger was. He clearly had a lot of money and wanted Sabo out of prison, so that meant that Sabo would have to find him.

He'd have to find Gol D. Roger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Ace received the news that Wildfire was going to be released from prison, he felt anger come over him. He almost burned the newspaper that he was looking at. If it weren't for Luffy pointing out that his hands were starting to smoke, he would most definitely have burned it to ash.

"What is it?" Luffy had asked.

"They're releasing Wildfire from prison," Ace explained.

"What? Why? Didn't he kill people? He's supposed to be in there for a long long time," Luffy said.

"I know," Ace hissed. "But there was someone that payed for him to be released, even though you can't get bailed out of prison if you have been found guilty of murder."

"Then who bailed him out if you can't?" Luffy asked.

"It says, some guy named..." Ace paused when he saw the name.

"Well? Who is it?" Luffy questioned again.

"Roger..." Ace began. He swallowed hard before he finished his answer. "Gol D. Roger."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to yeet!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to sleep.

Sabo entered the Alliance building like he normally would, except he most likely had a shattered shoulder blade. People were sitting, watching the TV like they always do. They didn't seem to notice Sabo at first, but someone had apparently seen him out of the corner of their eye and stared at him in confusion.

"Aren't you supposed to be in prison?" the villain asked.

Everyone seemed to turn to Sabo at this statement.

"I was," Sabo answered simply.

"Then why are you here?" they asked.

"I walked out," Sabo answered.

"How, the entire place is made out of seastone. They wouldn't just let one of the world's most dangerous villains just 'walk out' of prison," another villain added.

"Someone bailed me out," Sabo explained.

"You can't be bailed out after being charged with murder," a villain pointed out.

"Who would even have the money to bail you out?" another asked.

"I don't know," Sabo replied. "It was someone named Gol D. Roger or something."

"Gol D. Roger?" one villain questioned.

"I told you, I don't know. I was just told that he bailed me out and that I was free, for now at least," Sabo shrugged.

"How did you even get caught anyway?" someone else asked.

"About that... I'm going to have to have a talk with Eustass," Sabo said.

Without another word to the questions that were being asked, Sabo headed towards the basement to talk to Eustass.

"You didn't tell me Monkey D. Luffy had a brother," Sabo said as he entered Eustass' room.

"He doesn't," Eustass replied.

"Then what was Solar Flare doing in his room?" Sabo questioned. "And why did Solar Flare throw me out a window, then say, 'don't touch my brother'?"

"It didn't say anything about a brother, actually, it doesn't say anything about his family except that his grandfather is Monkey D. Garp," Eustass said.

"Alright Kid, then it seems that I'm going to have a talk with Pirate King," Sabo said as he turned away from the other villain and walked up the stairs and towards Pirate King's office at the top floor.

I didn't take Sabo long to reach Pirate King's office. He was an old member of the Alliance, so he was used to travelling these hallways.

Sabo knocked at the door, then with a quick, 'it's Sabo,' he was allowed to enter the room.

"I have a question for you," Sabo began. "Actually, I have two questions for you."

"And what would those be?" Pirate King questioned.

"Who requested the mission to kill Monkey D. Luffy?" Sabo asked first.

"A man that goes by Akainu," Pirate King answered.

"Second question," Sabo started. "Who is Gol D. Roger?"

"What does it matter to you?" Pirate King asked.

"He was the one that bailed me out of jail. I want to find out why he did so. I'm not someone that most people would want out of prison. He must want something from me," Sabo explained. "Do you know who he is?"

"I know who he is," Pirate King nodded.

"Who?" Sabo insisted.

"Right here," Pirate King answered.

"What do you mean?" Sabo questioned.

"You didn't think my real name was 'Pirate King,' did you?" Pirate King asked.

"You mean... you mean that _you_ are the one that bailed me out of jail?" Sabo asked for clarification.

"That is what I just said, isn't it?" Pirate King, well, Gol D. Roger, said.

"I would give you my thanks, but you have taught me that a villain must never thank others, even when they are truly sincere about it," Sabo said.

"I did teach you well," Roger smiled.

"Although, I must ask why you bailed me out. I saw a few other former members of the Alliance that were in prison, but were still yet to be freed. I was under the impression that you didn't care much for the villains of the Alliance. I thought that you figured you could replace the ones that you lost," Sabo pointed out.

"That is usually the case," Roger agreed, "but there are some people that I can't lose. You are one of our most valuable members. It would truly be a shame if we had lost you. There would be no way to replace someone like you. If they hadn't allowed the bail, I would have broken into that prison myself to get you out."

"I am glad that I can be of such use," Sabo smiled underneath his mask.

"Does that answer all of you questions?" Roger asked.

"It does," Sabo nodded.

"Do you want me to send someone up to look at your injuries?" Roger questioned, motioning to Sabo's still broken shoulder.

"That would be much appreciated," Sabo said.

"I'll send someone to your room soon then," Roger nodded.

"Thank you," Sabo thanked.

"I thought you said I taught you not to say thank you, even when it is sincere," Roger said.

"Of course," Sabo nodded.

With that, Sabo left Roger's room and left towards his own.

His arm was really hurting and he couldn't wait to have it checked out. Even if he wouldn't be able to us his right arm again, just like what happened to Solar Flare, he just wanted the pain to go away.

_He just wanted the pain to go away._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ace had began his search for his father early in the morning, when none of the other heroes at Garp's building would be awake so he could leave without being questioned.

The first place he looked was his old house. The one that he grew up in. The one that he raised to be a villain in. The one that he decided that he wasn't going to become a villain in. The one that he hated because of the memories it brought back.

The house was empty. It was covered in dust. It probably hadn't been entered since he left. The only ones that really used that house were Ace and his mother, but his mother died shortly after he was born and he left two years ago.

He didn't think that his father would be here, but there was no harm in looking just in case.

The next place that he was going to look was an in old apartment building that he knew his father had talked about using as a base in the future. Ace didn't know if he had actually ended up using it, but he might as well check.

Ace had ended up scaling the building. He had peeked through windows as he went up. It was hard to see through them because most were blacked out, but he could see if there were any lights on.

When Ace had reached the fifth floor of the building. He was pulled into one of the windows, that was suddenly opened as he stood on the windowsill.

"What do you think you're doing here?" someone asked.

Ace looked up and saw the very familiar mustache of a familiar man.

"I was looking for you," Ace answered.

"I thought he had decided that you wanted nothing to do with me," his father responded.

"That's not why I'm here," Ace replied. "I'm here to ask why you released Wildfire from prison. You can't even bail someone out of prison if they've been charged with murder."

"Well, I have my ways of getting what I want," Roger smirked. "And also, Wildfire is too valuable of an asset to me to let him rot in prison."

Just then, there was a knock at his father's door.

Without really thinking, Roger had pushed Ace to the window.

"Get out of here," Roger said quickly as he quickly closed the window behind Ace.

Ace wasn't sure how to process things, but he ended up heading down the abandoned, well, not quite abandoned, apartment building.

He wasn't sure how to process that he had just talked to his father without any yelling or fighting. He didn't even really get to talk to his father. It was just a quick little chat that ended quite suddenly with him being shoved out a window.

_He had just talked to his father._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do y'all like sleep as much as me?


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick heads up. If there is ever a day when I don't post, I'll most likely post two chapters the next day. That's all!

Sabo was told that they couldn't fix his arm. They didn't know how to fix all of the shattered pieces of his shoulder blade and his upper arm. They couldn't find a replacement for his arm either. They said that they might just have to leave it like that.

Or they could give him a new arm.

Sabo had decided that he would rather have two working arms than just one.

They had scheduled him to have his arm amputated, then for him to be made and given a new, cyborg arm.

Sabo wasn't too excited to get a cyborg arm, but Koala acted like it was the coolest thing in the world. She said she wished she could have a cyborg arm too, but she didn't have a reason for it.

When it came for Sabo's arm to be removed, he was woken up early and whisked into a small infirmary. They had sedated him quite quickly, then the rest of it was a blur.

Sabo woke up with an aching pain in his upper right shoulder. He forgot what happened. He didn't know where he was either. He just stared up at the bright light above him. He didn't know what to do.

"You're awake early," someone said.

Sabo looked to the voice. It was a female. He couldn't see her face, as it was cover in a mask. She must have been a nurse. _But what was a nurse doing here anyway?_

"Where am I? Why am I here?" Sabo asked.

"You are in the Villain Alliance's infirmary," the nurse answered. "And as to why you are here, it's because you just got your arm amputated."

Sabo stared at her for a second, as if he was confused as to why he would need to get his arm amputated.

Then he suddenly realized the answer.

_Solar Flare._

"Solar Flare crushed my shoulder blade," Sabo mumbled to himself.

"Not just your shoulder blade, but also your humerous," the nurse said. "Solar Flare completely crushed it. I'd be surprised if the best doctor in the world was able to save that arm of yours without a replacement. It would have been so much easier to save your arm if we could find replacements. It's just hard to find people that are willing to give up their bones and organs in this day and age."

"Do you already have the replacement cyborg arm made?" Sabo asked.

"We do," the nurse nodded. "We just have to try it on you and make sure everything fits and it connects with your nervous correctly."

Sabo nodded in understanding.

"Also, we're sorry, but we won't be able to put you to sleep for connecting the nervous. We need you awake to make sure it actually works," the nurse explained.

"It's fine, I'd had worse," Sabo said.

"I'm not sure. You have never had your nerves connected to wires before, so you can never tell," the nurse added.

"It's fine, I just want an arm," Sabo replied.

"Well, I'll go tell the mechanic and the head doctor that you are ready for the arm then," the nurse said, making her way out of the room without another word.

Sabo layed on the bed for probably five or ten minutes before the door finally opened again, but this time, with three people. One was the nurse from before, then the other two were unfamiliar to Sabo. They brought in a cart with them. The cart held different parts of a mostly built cyborg arm.

"We will begin with the connecting of the nerves now," on of the unknown men said.

Sabo nodded. "Go ahead."

"Alright," the other man said as he lifted the arm off the art and placed it close to Sabo's right shoulder.

"This is going to hurt..." the man holding the arm began, "a lot..."

"That's comforting," Sabo smiled.

Without warning, a sharp pain overwhelmed him. He bit his lip, trying his best not to cry out in pain. He had closed his eyes tightly and could feel his eyes starting to water just a bit through the pain.

The pain stopped and Sabo let out a slow, deep breath.

"It's not over just yet," someone said. It was hard to differentiate their voices when he was wracked with pain.

More pain enveloped Sabo. It wasn't as bad as the pain from before, but this time felt like something was being drilled into his skin. There were several bouts of pain that felt like this. Sabo assumed that maybe something was being drilled into him.

Sabo was in pain for maybe four more minutes. It was hard to keep track of time when you're trying not to scream in pain of having your arm completely replaced with one that is made of metal instead.

"There we go," on of the men said. "It seems that everything is in place. Do you think that you could try moving your fingers?"

Sabo did as he was told. He heard to sound of metal tapping against metal.

"Seems everything is all good," the other man said.

The two men stood up and then began to walk out of the room, taking their now empty car with them.

"I'll explain everything to you now," the nurse said. "You aren't to do anything serious with that new arm of yours for at least 3 months when it should be mostly healed. That, however, doesn't mean that you can't use your arm. It is actually recommended that you use that new arm as much as you can without breaking any rules of what not to do. I will give you the list of what you can and can not do with that arm right now."

The nurse then gave Sabo a piece of paper with a bunch or writing on it. It was full of a bunch of things that Sabo wasn't supposed to do.

Sabo didn't really care about what the paper said.

_He was just glad he got his arm back._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ace talked to Law to see if there was anything that Law could do for Ace to give him his arm back. Law said that he could think of two things for Ace's arm. The first was to have it removed and replaced with a cyborg one, but Ace had quickly stated his dislike for that idea. The second idea was more experimental. Law had never tried it before and he had just gotten the idea with help form one of Luffy's friends, Franky, who was a cyborg.

Law told Ace that he would just be receiving a cyborg brace for his arm.

It didn't take long for Law to connect the cyborg brace to Ace's arm. All he had to do was connect the brace to a few of Ace's nerves, which only caused Ace a short amount of pain.

The brace covered Ace's entire right hand, like a metal glove, then ran up to his shoulder with two metal strips. There was also a piece of metal at his elbow that allowed him to move it normally. The piece on his shoulder was a little bigger. It covered his shoulder and allowed him to move his shoulder like he had a while ago.

Ace didn't even notice that he wasn't able to use his right arm the other day. It just seemed so natural to use it, so he didn't even realize the difference.

"There are a few rules though," Law said as he watched Ace test out his new brace. "You won't be able to do anything major for a few weeks, seeing as I don't want you to injure yourself more. Can you promise me that you won't do that?"

"I promise," Ace nodded, staring at his metal hand.

_He could live with this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wRiTiNg Is FuN


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yahoo!

"How's the new arm doing?" Koala asked as Sabo came into the room.

It had been a day since Sabo's surgery. He wasn't completely used to having a metal arm instead of a normal one. Things that had stayed in his normal hand were now slipping out of the metal one because of the smoothness of the metal. Metal didn't have the same grip capacity as human skin.

"It's nice to be able to use an arm again," Sabo began, "but it still hurts like hell."

"I mean, they did amputate your arm to give you the new one, and I'd imagine that cutting off an arm would hurt," Koala said.

"You'd imagine so, yes," Sabo agreed sassily.

"I've never had an arm removed before. I don't know what it feels like," Koala said in defense.

Sabo didn't answer, he just continued to flex his new metal fingers, as if he was still getting used to the feeling of moving his fingers.

Koala broke the silence. "I heard you can't do anything with the new arm for six months," she said.

"I can do things, I just can't do anything too major with it," Sabo explained.

"So you'll still be able to go on missions?" Koala questioned.

"I'll still be able to go. Why do you ask?" Sabo responded.

"I've got a doubles mission. They are thinking of promoting me, but I need to go on a higher mission with one of the higher ranked villains to prove that I can actually do the more difficult missions," Koala explained.

"Sure, I'll join you. What's the mission?" Sabo replied.

"It's attacking this rich guy, not killing him, but more... incapacitating him," Koala answered.

Sabo nodded in understanding, but didn't say anything.

"I start in two days," Koala added.

"Okay," Sabo said with a slight smile. "It will be nice to get some practice with my new arm, and for you to finally join us higher ups."

"Well, I'm not quite on your level, but I'm glad that you think of me in such high regards," Koala smiled, rubbing the back of her head a bit.

"Anyway, I'm just glad that Ro-Pirate King is finally realizing your talent," Sabo explained.

"Well, I mean, my power isn't all that impressive," Koala pointed out.

"But you know how to use it," Sabo said.

"I guess so," Koala mumbled.

"Well then, I'll see you later, I'm going on an undercover walk," Sabo said. "I'm going to be on 'a search for Solar Flare.'"

"Is that your excuse to just leave the Alliance building?" Koala questioned.

"No," Sabo answered with an obvious amount of sarcasm. "What would ever make me want to leave this crowded building after I've been stuck in the infirmary for two days. Plus, I haven't had any good missions, so I'm just going to do things my way a little bit."

"What if you really do find Solar Flare though?" Koala asked as Sabo was starting to walk towards the exit.

"I'm not the only one that is unable to use an arm between us," Sabo explained as he put a hand on the door handle.

"Be careful," Koala said as Sabo finally opened the door.

Sabo didn't say anything else. He smiled, then walked out the door without ever looking back towards the other villain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How's the thing doing?" Luffy asked, gesturing to Ace's new metal arm brace.

"It's a brace Luffy," Ace replied. "But it's doing good. It still hurts to move a little bit, but at least I can use my arm properly again."

"Does it bother you at all?" his brother asked.

"Not really. I feel like it's always been there, even though I just got it put on yesterday," Ace answered.

Just then, Garp walked into the room with the boys. He seemed to have caught a little bit of their conversation.

"What are you going to do now _Solar Flare__?_" Garp asked.

Ace stood up from where he was sitting and began walking towards the door where Garp had just entered from. "I think I might go on a walk," Ace answered. "I feel like I've been cooped up in here forever, so I just want to get some fresh air."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Luffy questioned.

"It's fine," Ace said, waving a hand to dismiss Luffy's thought. "I can handle myself, especially now that I can use both of my arms."

No one else said anything as Garp moved out of the way for Ace to walk out of the door. Luffy looked to his grandfather as if to ask a question that not even Luffy knew he was asking. Garp gave no answer. He just returned the stare.

Ace walked silently through the halls of Garp's building. The only sound was the echo of his shoes on the smooth tile floor. He left the building and did not look back towards where his brother and grandfather stood, watching him from a window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School is sooo much fun (note the sarcasm).


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's y'all's favorite song? Mine is either 'Turn it Around' by Lucius or 'Kicks' by Barns Courtney.

Sabo didn't know where he was going to walk to. He just walked through the dark, midday streets. The sun wasn't out, there were only clouds. It was actually rare to see the sun these days. There was only ever clouds.

Sabo had ended up walking to a park, where he walked around a bit, then sat down at a bench, watching the other park goers walk by.

There was always someone that occasionally said a 'good afternoon,' or a 'hello.'

Sabo didn't usually respond, he would just smile, or look up to the person in acknowledgement.

"Hey," one such person said.

Sabo looked up and found himself staring into gray, almost silver, eyes.

"Hey," Sabo responded.

"You're the one that was lost at the mall, right?" the man asked.

"I wasn't actually lost, just waiting for a friend," Sabo responded.

"Right, sorry," the man apologized. "Anyway, do you mind if I sit next to you?"

"Not at all," Sabo shook his head, sliding over a little bit to make more room for the man.

"Anyway, what brings you here?" the man asked.

"I'm trying to get a breath of fresh air away from my roomates," Sabo answered.

"What a coincidence. I'm doing the same thing, except to get away from my family," the man replied.

"I can understand that," Sabo nodded.

"What's your family like?" the man asked. "Mine is loud, impatient, impulsive, and have no idea what personal space is."

"Mine didn't really treat me well," Sabo began. "They didn't think about what I wanted. They just raised me how they wanted me to be. That's why I left to join some friends in an apartment."

"I'd probably do the same thing if I were in your situation," the man agreed. The man then decided to change the subject. "Anyway, what's your name? I'm Ace."

"Sabo," Sabo answered.

"Hey, would it be okay if I got your phone number?" the man, now named Ace, asked. "I just think that we have a lot in common and it would be nice to hang out with someone so similar to me."

"Yeah, sure," Sabo nodded.

Ace then gave Sabo his phone so he could enter in his phone number. Sabo returned it to Ace with a smile, which the other man returned happily.

"Well then, I'll text you the date, time, and place of where we should meet next," Ace said.

"It sounds a lot more like a date than 'hanging out,'" Sabo pointed out.

Ace's face suddenly turned slightly red. "No, no, no- that- that's not- I just- it's just that- I mean- well- ugh- fine, you caught me. I think you're hot and I may or may not have somehow developed feelings for you even though I've literally seen you like two times, so I want to ask you out on a date."

Sabo could feel his own face heating up just a bit.

"I know it all sounds like the plot to some poorly written romance book, but... what do you say?" Ace questioned.

"Why?" Sabo asked, looking at the bright smile that Ace wore. It was like Sabo was looking straight at the sun. "Before I give you my answer, I want to know why you want to date me."

"Well, first, I think you're hot. Second, you're one of the only people that I've met that hasn't fawned over me just because I've got the same eye colour, and a similar hairstyle, to the _one and only_ Solar Flare," Ace answered. "And third, I don't know why, but I feel like you give off a strange warmth that makes me want to be around you. It feels like you give off the same energy as a powerful hero. I just feel safe and comfortable around you. I feel like I'm being protected."

Now, this man had intrigued Sabo now. No one had never compared Sabo to a hero. He was the exact opposite of a hero. He didn't save people. He didn't _protect_ people. He was _a villain_.

But Sabo felt drawn to this man. Not only was Ace an attractive man, but Sabo also felt a strange attraction towards him. Ace also gave off a strange warmth. Ace's warmth felt cold, but warm at the same time. It seemed to be void of all feelings and emotions. Even though Ace was smiling, Sabo couldn't _feel_ him smile. He didn't feel anything from Ace, except the strange, cold warmth.

Sabo could also take this as a chance to learn more about the man, and also maybe learn the truth about what happened at the mall. Ace might not have been chasing him, but might have been looking for something, or someone else. He really hoped that Ace wasn't looking for him.

"Yes," Sabo finally answered.

Ace seemed surprised at first. "Yes?" he questioned.

Sabo nodded.

"Yes!" Ace repeated, but with more enthusiasm this time. "You really mean it? You'll go out with me?"

"That is what I said, isn't it?" Sabo questioned.

Ace's smile seemed to grow. "Well Sabo, I'll text you all the details later," Ace began, standing up from the bench. "I'll see you later... for our date."

"See you," Sabo smiled.

Ace then walked away without another word, or even a slight look back.

Sabo also stood from the bench, then he walked towards the apartment. It was in the complete opposite direction that Ace was going in.

Sabo's phone then buzzed. The text read 'Ace' and was followed by a smiley face. Then another text came in. 'can't wait!"

Sabo smiled to himself as he tucked his phone into his pocket and walked home.

This was the happiest he had been in a long time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ace walked aimlessly through the streets. He didn't know where he was going to go. He just wanted to get away from his family for a moment. He didn't hate his family, he had just had enough of them for the day. They weren't doing anything wrong, he just needed a little bit of a break... from everything.

Ace had found himself walking into a park. It wasn't very busy, but he did see an occasional other person, to which he would usually say 'good afternoon' or 'hello' to. Some people would respond back, but sometimes they didn't, which was all good.

Ace was walking towards a bench, he was planning on sitting down, but he saw someone else sitting on the bench.

It was a familiar blond man with a familiar scar over his face. Ace decided to greet the man.

"Hey," Ace greeted.

The man looked up towards Ace.

_Damn. I forgot how attractive this guy was._

The man responded with a, "Hey."

"You're the one that was lost at the mall, right?" Ace asked.

"I wasn't actually lost, just waiting for a friend," the man corrected him.

"Right, sorry," Ace apologized. "Anyway, do you mind if I sit next to you?"

"Not at all," the man shook his head, then slid over to make more room for Ace.

"Anyway, what brings you here?" Ace asked.

"I'm trying to get a breath of fresh air away from my roomates," the man answered with a small sigh.

"What a coincidence. I'm doing the same thing, except to get away from my family," Ace replied.

"I can understand that," the man nodded.

It seemed that they had a little bit in common.

"What's your family like?" Ace asked. "Mine is loud, impatient, impulsive, and have no idea what personal space is."

"Mine didn't really treat me well," the man explained. "They didn't think about what I wanted. They just raised me how they wanted me to be. That's why I left to join some friends in an apartment."

"I'd probably do the same thing if I were in your situation," Ace agreed.

It seemed that they had a lot in common.

"Anyway, what's your name? I'm Ace," Ace said, introducing himself.

"Sabo," the man answered.

"Hey, would it be okay if I got your phone number?" Ace asked.

_What are you doing? You don't just ask people you've know for two seconds for their phone number._

"I just think that we have a lot in common and it would be nice to hang out with someone so similar to me," Ace added.

"Yeah, sure," the man, now known as Sabo, nodded.

_What?_

Ace then quickly gave Sabo his phone for him to enter his phone number into. Sabo typed in the number, then returned the phone to Ace with a smile, which Ace gladly returned.

"Well then, I'll text you the date, time, and place of where we should meet next," Ace said.

"It sounds a lot more like a date than 'hanging out,'" Sabo pointed out.

Ace felt his face heat up rapidly. "No, no, no- that- that's not- I just- it's just that- I mean- well- ugh- fine, you caught me," Ace stuttered. "I think you're hot and I may or may not have somehow developed feelings for you even though I've literally seen you like two times, so I want to ask you out on a date," he finally admitted.

Ace swore that Sabo's face turned a little pink.

"I know it all sounds like the plot to some poorly written romance book, but... what do you say?" Ace questioned.

"Why?" Sabo asked. "Before I give you my answer, I want to know why you want to date me."

"Well, first, I think you're hot. Second, you're one of the only people that I've met that hasn't fawned over me just because I've got the same eye colour, and a similar hairstyle, to the _one and only_ Solar Flare," Ace answered quickly. He didn't even know where the answers were coming from. He had never thought about it before. He promises he's never thought about it. "And third, I don't know why, but I feel like you give off a strange warmth that makes me want to be around you. It feels like you give off the same energy as a powerful hero. I just feel safe and comfortable around you. I feel like I'm being protected."

Sabo seemed to be thinking it over. That worried Ace a little bit. He was probably going to say no, seeing as they don't know each other very well.

"Yes," Sabo finally answered.

It took Ace a moment to finally process what Sabo said. "Yes?" he questioned.

Sabo nodded.

"Yes!" Ace exclaimed. "You really mean it? You'll go out with me?"

"That is what I said, isn't it?" Sabo questioned.

Ace smiled brightly. "Well Sabo, I'll text you all the details later," Ace began, standing up from the bench. "I'll see you later... for our date."

"See you," Sabo smiled.

Ace then walked away without another word. He did look back a few times though, but only to see Sabo's back walking in the opposite direction.

Ace pulled out his phone and opened the new contact that was named 'Sabo.' He sent two quick texts to Sabo, then he put his phone away with a smile. He hasn't been this happy since... well... ever.

This was the happiest moment of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have any of y'all listened to Nightvale? It's some good stuff.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this one's shorter, but I promise that the next one will be longer (P.S. It's the date next).

Sabo walked into the Alliance building. Koala was sitting in the main room and she looked at Sabo's face, then raised an eyebrow towards Sabo.

"If I didn't know any better, I would think that someone just asked you out on a date," Koala said, taking a sip from whatever she was drinking.

Sabo gave her a look.

"Wait, you mean that someone asked _you_ on a _date,_" Koala wondered.

Sabo nodded.

"Who? When?" Koala asked. "I need some details about this."

"I don't feel like telling you," Sabo teased.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Koala apologized. "I didn't think that there would actually be anyone that you would say yes to a date with."

"You clearly don't care then," Sabo replied, walking past Koala and towards the stairs.

"Hey, it better not be tomorrow!" Koala called after him. "You promised that you would go on the mission with me!"

"I know," Sabo called back.

Without any more words, Sabo made his way up the stairs and walked towards his room. He saw a cloaked man with a red mark over his left eye walking towards him in the hall.

Sabo would recognize Dragon anywhere.

Dragon stared at Sabo with a strange look in his eye. "Watch who you are with," Dragon whispered as he past Sabo in the hallway, slightly rubbing against his shoulder.

Sabo stopped walking and looked back towards Dragon in confusion. The man didn't say anything else. He didn't even spare a look back.

Dragon soon walked out of view. Only then did Sabo decide to walk again. He walked a slower, almost cautious pace, to his room.

Sabo was very much confused as to what Dragon was talking about. Was he talking about the other villains in the Alliance? Or did he somehow know that he was talking to Ace? Even if he did know about Ace, what was wrong with him? He was just like any other citizen he had met, so maybe there was someone in the Alliance that he would have to be careful with.

Sabo dismissed his thoughts as he entered into his room and lied down on his bed.

He'd leave it for when it really mattered. He'd leave it for when it actually came into play.

_He'd just wait until he really needed to be careful._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It wasn't uncommon for Ace to come home with a smile, but nowadays, in this city, the times he was smiling had become less and less. He didn't come home with a smile all that often anymore.

"What's got you so happy, yoi?" Marco, when of the other heroes that worked with Ace, asked.

Marco also had a fire power. Well, it wasn't really fire, he just had the powers of a phoenix, plus he could turn into one.

"Oh, nothing," Ace replied.

Marco raised a non existent eyebrow at Ace. "You are a really bad liar, yoi."

"Okay, fine," Ace gave in. "I got a date."

Marco looked at Ace expectantly, waiting for more details.

"Well, there was this guy I saw at the mall a while back. I talked to him, but didn't learn that much about him, but just today, I saw him at the park while I was on a walk. I sat down and talked to him. I found that we had a lot in common, then I ended up asking for his name and number. After that, well, I asked if he wanted to hang out, but he said it sounded more like a date, and well... I got myself a date," Ace explained.

"Congrats, yoi," Marco congratulated, although it didn't sound very sincere.

"Hey, you should at least act like you care about my personal life!" Ace shouted.

"I live with you, I'm going to hear you tell that story to twenty more people in the next hour, yoi," Marco pointed out.

"Well this is your first time hearing it, so at least pretend to be happy for me," Ace said.

"Alright," Marco said, "I'm happy that you won't be staying here all the time, yoi."

"Why do I even bother with you?" Ace mumbled to himself as he walked past the other hero and up towards Luffy's room.

Ace would have to admit that he probably spent more time in Luffy's room than he did his own. It was just that he cared about his adoptive brother. He always wanted to be right there, just in case something went wrong or Luffy needed his help. Just like the time Wildfire had tried sneaking into the building to most likely kill Luffy. If Ace hadn't been there, Luffy could have definitely been injured, or worse... _dead._

Ace didn't want to think about what it would be like losing Luffy. He didn't want to think about how empty he would be without his brother.

_He didn't want to think about the pain._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyes are weird. Do y'all agreed? I mean, we look at things, but our eyes see things reflected and reverse, or somethin' like that. Like, what? Eyes, what are you doing? Why don't we just see things normal?


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Date time boys!

Sabo woke up early in the morning. He had a tendency to do that. He was usually the first one awake, besides Dragon, but Sabo was pretty sure the other villain didn't even know how to sleep.

Sabo sat in his room for about thirty minutes before he finally decided to leave to get something to eat and to get ready for his mission with Koala.

He checked his phone and found a message from Ace.

**How does tonight at 6 sound?**

'Sounds good' Sabo replied. His mission with Koala should definitely be done by then.

The answer came almost immediately.

**Cool, see you then!**

'Where is it that we are going to meet?'

**Oh, right, at the Baratie**

**I'll get us a reservation**

'See you then'

Sabo then tucked his phone into his pocket, then made his way out of his room and down the stairs to get to the main lobby.

Koala was already down there when he got there. She gave him a wave. "Good morning," she greeted.

Sabo nodded in response as he grabbed some food then sat down next to her.

"You ready for the mission?" Koala asked.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Sabo responded.

"I'm ready," she answered.

"Good," Sabo nodded. "I want to make it quick."

"Quick? What are you in such a rush for? Do you have plans tonight?" Koala questioned.

"Actually, I do," Sabo said.

"Hey, I thought I said not to have your date today," Koala scowlded.

"Well, you didn't really say that, you just told me to remember that we had our mission today," Sabo pointed out.

"Well, I was trying to imply that you shouldn't have your date today," Koala said.

"It's too late now," Sabo shook his head. "I already said yes for 6 tonight. Besides, we should be done by then."

Koala let out a sigh. "I guess you're right. I was just kind of nervous, you know, seeing as this is my first attack mission."

"It's still a shame that it isn't a kill mission," Sabo mumbled.

"Well, I'm not ready for kill missions just yet," Koala replied.

Sabo finished off the rest of his food. "Well, we should get going."

"Right," Koala agreed.

"Well, lead the way," Sabo said, placing his mask over his face and putting on his hat.

Koala nodded as she led them out of the building. Sabo followed her closely. They travelled through the shadows seeing as it was still daylight. It didn't take them long to get to the mansion of their victim.

"This is it," Koala whispered.

Sabo nodded in response.

"There doesn't seem to be anyone guarding the mansion, but there could be security on the inside," Koala said. "We should find out where our target is before we strike."

"Good call," Sabo replied. "That was smart of you. In this kind of situation, it's best to stand back for a bit until you are absolutely sure that you have the right target."

Koala smiled slightly. It wasn't often that she got complemented by Sabo. Koala then pulled out a pair of small binoculars to get a closer look at what's going on inside the mansion.

After a few minutes, she stopped shifting the binoculars. "I think I found him," she whispered.

"Are you sure it's him?" Sabo asked.

"Um..." Koala peered through the binoculars for a moment longer. "Yes, I'm sure it's him."

"100% sure?" Sabo questioned.

"Yes, that's him," Koala answered. "I'm 100% sure it's him."

"Then what's your call?" Sabo asked.

"We go in," Koala said. "Carefully," she added.

"Your lead," Sabo said, motioning for Koala to go first.

Koala quickly leaped out of the shadows and towards one of the second floor windows. Sabo was close behind her. The windowsill was large enough for them both to barely balance on.

"Could you break it?" Koala asked, gesturing for Sabo to break the window.

Sabo happily obliged. He pulled out his metal pipe and slammed it against the window. It almost completely shattered.

"Thanks," Koala said, climbing into the window quickly.

Sabo followed after her and observed the room that they had just walked into. The first thing he saw was the man that was now hiding behind a chair in the room. He was begging for them not to kill him.

"He's all yours," Sabo said.

Koala then walked to the man. His begs and cries grew more frantic. "Don't worry," Koala said, "I'm not here to kill you. I'm just here to maim or seriously injure."

Koala pulled out a knife and stabbed it into the man's abdomen. The man let out a cry in pain.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I'm just doing my job."

With that, Koala pulled out the knife, then turned to Sabo with a hopeful smile on her face.

"We'll talk to Pirate King," Sabo said.

Her smile fell into a pout. "But I want to know if I passed."

"You'll find out later," Sabo said. He then quickly went back towards the window and jumped out of it. Koala was close behind him. "Besides, I've got a date I have to prepare for."

"That isn't until 6 though," Koala pointed out.

Sabo didn't answer, he just kept running through alleyways until they finally reached the apartment building, where he decided to climb through Roger's window instead of going through the main lobby doors. He knew it would take Koala a little while if she wanted to follow after him, so that gave him some time to talk to Roger alone.

Sabo knocked on the window and Roger let him in.

"What's with coming in through the window?" Roger questioned.

"I wanted to beat Koala up here so I could talk about her performance in private before we gave her the results," Sabo explained.

"All right then, continue," Roger nodded.

"Well, she didn't rush into the mission right away," Sabo began. "She took a step back to observe what was going on, just in case there was something she didn't know about. She made sure that she knew where her victim was before she went in. The one things I would say she did wrong was deciding to have me shatter the window when I could have easily melted it silently instead."

"It sounds like she did well then," Roger said.

"Yes, but the final decision is left to you," Sabo said as he made his way to the door of Roger's room.

There was a knock at the window. It was Koala.

"Well, she's all yours," Sabo said as he left the room. He closed the door quietly behind him, then made his way back towards his room. He checked his phone on the way to his room. There weren't any new messages and it was a little before noon. The mission took a lot longer than he thought, or he just took forever getting ready to go on the mission.

But it meant that he had plenty of time to prepare for the date.

Sabo left for the date half an hour before 6, seeing as it was usually a thirty minute walk to the Baratie. Sometimes less and sometimes more, depending on how fast he walked. This day was one of the few where he felt like he had a little pep in his step. His life was usually miserable, but here comes this man that he's seen twice, and suddenly, he feels like his life has flipped. This man makes his heart flutter. He makes him want to trust him, but he also gives off that strange, cold warmth. Two words that should not be used in the same sentence.

_Cold warmth._

What does that even mean? Sabo doesn't know what he's even talking about, that's just what he feels from Ace. A strange attraction. It's something that he wouldn't normally do. He never really talks to normal people, much less go _on dates_ with them. He really wasn't sure why he said yes. He just... he just felt like Ace was somehow connected to him. It had sounded like they had a lot in common. There family situations seemed a little similar, although Ace's family sounded much better than Sabo's old one.

It didn't matter now though. Sabo was already nearing the Baratie. He couldn't just back out of it now. He just couldn't do it. He is one of the highest ranked in the Villain Alliance, but he couldn't walk out now. It's a strange taste that it leaves in his mouth.

He came through the doors of the Baratie and was greeted by one of the waiters.

"You must Mr. Sabo," the waiter began. "Mr. Portgas told us that we would be looking for a blond haired man with a scar over his left eye."

_Portgas? Is that Ace's last name, or is it someone else that is looking for me, but from observing the situation, it is likely that Portgas is just Ace's last name._

"That's me," Sabo nodded.

"Well, right this way then," the waiter smiled, leading Sabo towards a currently empty table. "Sorry, I'm afraid that Mr. Portgas is not here yet. He called us and said that he would be a little late. He had some unplanned business to attend to, but he promised that he would be here in no time."

"That's alright," Sabo said.

"Well, I'll be back when Mr. Portgas gets here," the waiter said.

Sabo nodded in acknowledgement.

_Where could Ace be? What business does he have to attend to? It sounds a little suspicious._

Sabo probably waited for ten long minutes before the waiter finally came back, followed by a grey, almost silver, eyed man.

"Ah, what a coincidence seeing you here," Sabo said sarcastically.

"Sorry, I had a meeting for work and it took longer than I thought it did," Ace explained.

"Where is it that you work?" Sabo asked.

"I work at my grandfathers company. They want me to become the heir of his work, seeing as his real son was killed in a tragic accident, and I'm to oldest of his grandchildren, but I just want to live my life how I want. I was thinking of maybe starting my own company when I get a little older," Ace explained.

"How old are you anyway?" Sabo asked.

"19," Ace answered.

"Really, I'm 19 as well," Sabo said.

"What a coincidence," Ace laughed a bit.

"I feel like everything that happens in my life is just one giant coincidence," Sabo said. "First, I met a friend that I wasn't trying to meet in a place I thought they would never be in. I also saw you at the park yesterday. A bunch of other things happened as well."

"I feel exactly the same," Ace agreed. "I keep seeing people that I wouldn't think I would be seeing. It really is just one big coincidence."

The waiter then cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but do you two know what you are going to be ordering, or do you just want to start with some appetizers before the main course?"

"I know what I want," Sabo answered. "I had some free time to look through the menu as I waited for Mr. Portgas over here."

"How do you know my last name?" Ace asked.

"Could I get the Pasta with Lamb Ragu," Sabo said to the waiter, completely ignoring Ace.

"Of course," the waiter said, scribbling down in his notebook. "And anything to drink?"

"Just a water will be fine," Sabo said.

"Right then," the waiter nodded. "And for Mr. Portgas?"

"Umm... well... I think that I'll go with the Pepper Steaks with Red and Green Peppers," Ace ordered.

"Okay. And to drink?" the waiter sked, writing in his notebook.

"I'll just have a water too," Ace said.

"All right then, I'll get those to you as soon as I can," the waiter said, putting his notebook away and clicking his pen.

"Well," Ace began. "Where should we begin?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ace didn't mean to be late for the date. Some rich guy had just been attacked this morning and had filed for heroes to guard him. Ace just so happened to be the lucky guy that was assigned to the rich man.

It was 15 minutes to 6 when Ace had finally, somehow, convinced Marco to take his place guarding the man. He had called the Baratie and told them that he would be late and that they should look out for a blond man with a scar over his left eye. He told them that his name was Sabo and he was the one he was going out with.

Ace rushed to change his outfit and make himself look decently presentable for his first date with the man that he had only really met twice. He rushed to the Baratie, which was luckily only 7 minutes away.

The waiter greeted Ace, then led him over to a table for two, where Sabo was already sitting, looking through the menu.

"Ah, what a coincidence seeing you here," Sabo said sarcastically.

"Sorry, I had a meeting for work and it took longer than I thought it did," Ace explained.

"Where is it that you work?" Sabo asked.

_Oh shit._

"I work at my grandfathers company. They want me to become the heir of his work, seeing as his real son was killed in a tragic accident, and I'm to oldest of his grandchildren, but I just want to live my life how I want. I was thinking of maybe starting my own company when I get a little older," Ace explained.

_Nice cover story Ace, you really are great at coming up with things on the fly._

"How old are you anyway?" Sabo asked.

"19," Ace answered.

"Really, I'm 19 as well," Sabo said.

"What a coincidence," Ace laughed a bit.

"I feel like everything that happens in my life is just one giant coincidence," Sabo said. "First, I met a friend that I wasn't trying to meet in a place I thought they would never be in. I also saw you at the park yesterday. A bunch of other things happened as well."

_How come this is actually my life right now? We really do have a lot in common._

"I feel exactly the same," Ace agreed. "I keep seeing people that I wouldn't think I would be seeing. It really is just one big coincidence."

The waiter then cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but do you two know what you are going to be ordering, or do you just want to start with some appetizers before the main course?"

"I know what I want," Sabo answered. "I had some free time to look through the menu as I waited for Mr. Portgas over here."

_Wait. Mr. Portgas? How does he know my last name._

"How do you know my last name?" Ace asked.

"Could I get the Pasta with Lamb Ragu," Sabo said to the waiter, completely ignoring Ace.

"Of course," the waiter said, pulling out a notebook to write in it. "And anything to drink?"

"Just a water will be fine," Sabo said.

"Right then," the waiter nodded. "And for Mr. Portgas?"

_Well, I guess that would answer how he knows my last name._

Ace then began to frantically search through the menu to find something that looked remotely interesting.

"Umm... well... I think that I'll go with the Pepper Steaks with Red and Green Peppers," Ace ordered.

"Okay. And to drink?" the waiter sked, writing in his notebook.

"I'll just have a water too," Ace said.

"All right then, I'll get those to you as soon as I can," the waiter said. The waiter then closed his notebook and put away his pen.

"Well," Ace began. "Where should we begin?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I was going to write the date, but that doesn't mean the full date. I probably won't be able to post tomorrow. My family has decided that we are going to do some 'family fun,' so I'll be busy mostly all day, but that means the rest of the date, plus another chapter on one day! Yay! I get to do a lot of writing!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh good nasty!

It hadn't been too long since they received their food. They talked and laughed together. Sabo was surprised that he was having this much fun. He hasn't had this much fun since he still thought he was going to become a hero. He hasn't smiled this much since he was still an ignorant child.

He and Ace were enjoying their time together. Everything was going well. They were talking and laughing together. Sabo was having fun. He was enjoying himself.

Everything _was_ going well.

Everything _was_ fine.

It was going to be okay.

He was going to be fine.

Sabo took in a sudden breath. What was he doing? He wasn't a hero. _He didn't save people._

Yet here he was, shoving Ace to the floor, protecting him. from a most certain death. He felt the sharp pain of a bullet. His vision blurred for a moment as his body was filled with pain.

_What was he doing?_

"Sabo?" Ace questioned quietly.

Sabo opened his mouth to answer. The only thing that came out was a cough of blood.

"Sabo?!" Ace asked again. It was frantic this time.

Sabo could barely hold himself up. His eyes focused on nothing. The sounds faded around him.

"Sa-"

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ace had been enjoying his night with Sabo. They had received their food not to long ago and had been talking and laughing the entire time.

Sabo grew silent.

"What's wro-" Ace didn't finish his sentence. Sabo had shoved the table aside and tackled Ace.

Ace heard a loud bang and the shattering of glass. There was a cry of alarm.

He was shoved to the ground. Sabo landed on him with a small grunt. It took him a second to process everything. It took him a second to realize what just happened.

It took him a second to realize that Sabo was bleeding.

"Sabo?" Ace whispered.

The man on top of him opened his mouth to answer, but he only spoke in blood.

"Sabo?!" Ace cried frantically.

Sabo stared at nothing. His eyes seemed glazed over.

"Sabo!" Ace shouted again.

Sabo suddenly fell limp on top of Ace.

"Oh god," Ace said, quickly, but gently moving Sabo's bloody body off of his own.

"Oh god," he repeated, observing the two holes in Sabo's chest. He was shot. It went straight in, then straight out. That was kind of good, it meant no fishing out bullets... but he was more likely to bleed out like this.

_He was shot._

Ace looked at his hands. They were covered in blood. They shook slightly.

_Calm down. You're a hero. You do this all the time._

_But you've never actually watched someone get shot by saving your life._

Ace took a deep breath to try and calm himself. He was a hero. He does this all the time.

Ace moved his arms underneath Sabo's limp body. He slowly stood up and walked out of the restaurant, not even caring for the looks other people were giving him.

Once he was out in the open, he picked up his pace a bit. His home was a 7 minute walk, but hopefully, it would be much quicker by running.

Ace found himself home in no time. He knocked on the door by kicking it.

The door was opened by Marco. "We don't want any visit-" Marco stopped when he saw Ace, covered in blood, as well as Sabo in his arms. "Give him to me, yoi," Marco quickly said.

Ace didn't waste a second giving Sabo to Marco. "Can you help him?" Ace asked.

"Shut up, yoi," Marco ordered.

Ace shut his mouth quickly.

Marco had ended up sitting on the ground and lighting himself on fire with his flames of restoration. He sat there silently, focusing on trying to help this man that he's never met before.

_That is what a hero does._

Marco soon let the flames die down and stood up with Sabo.

"I've sealed the wound, but he's lost a lot of blood, yoi," Marco explained.

"Should we take him up to the infirmary?" Ace asked.

"Of course, yoi," Marco sighed.

Marco carried Sabo, even though Ace had tried to insist that he could carry him. Honestly, Ace was kind of glad for this. Ace had carried him the entire way home, while he was running. He was a little tired.

Marco had set him down in one of the infirmary beds and left him to Law, much to Law's disapproval. Marco had then insisted that Ace go to his room and get some sleep. He told him to make sure to lock his door and close his blinds.

Ace didn't question him and did as he was told. It was nice to know that Marco secretly cared a little bit.

Marco acted like he didn't care for anyone, but really, deep down inside, Marco was a good person and an even better hero.

Marco was one of the best heroes Ace had ever met.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What was that about, yoi?"

"I did what I had to."

"You promised that you wouldn't attack him, yoi."

"Dragon decided to switch things up a bit."

"You know who you shot, right, yoi?"

"..."

"You shot an innocent man, yoi."

"It's not our fault that he got in the way."

"Don't forget our agreement, yoi."

"I know, I know."

"Don't let this happen again, yoi."

"Dragon sa-"

"No matter what Dragon says, yoi."

"..."

"I've got work to do, yoi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How y'all doing?


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i LiKe To SlEeP!

Ace wasn't sure how he was feeling today. Sabo hasn't woken up and he was left waiting for something to change.

Law had said that people don't regain blood that quickly. He said that it may take Sabo a full day, or more, to regain all of the blood he lost. It will most likely be more.

"Ace, we should go get some food, I'm hungry and you've been in here all day. He clearly isn't waking up anytime soon," Luffy groaned.

"But what if he does wake up?" Ace asked.

"Law can explain everything to him," Luffy answered.

"_If_ he wakes up," Law added.

Ace turned to Law and gave him a sharp glare. "Don't say that."

Law turned away from the other heroes and went back to whatever he was doing. He was probably writing down that even he couldn't read because of his hand writing. He is a doctor after all.

"Okay Luffy, we can go get some food," Ace sighed.

"Yay!" Luffy cheered. "Also, is it okay if Zoro comes with us? I told him that he could come."

"It's fine, just make sure he doesn't get lost," Ace said, "and does he have to bring his swords along?"

"His swords are like his babies. I'm pretty sure that he can't go to the bathroom without them," Luffy said.

"Why are they so important to him?" Ace questioned.

"I don't know, maybe you should ask him," Luffy suggested.

"If you're going, just go already," Law said from the corner. "Get out of my office. I'm trying to work."

"Alright then Mr. Grump, we'll get out food and we won't get any for you," Ace said.

"Ace, don't be mean to him, he has social problems," Luffy said.

Law let out a long sigh. "Just get out."

Ace and Luffy finally ended up leaving, closing the door behind them, after Law's insistent request for them to do so.

They passed Marco on their way out. It seemed like he never left that main living room.

"Where are you going, yoi?" Marco asked.

"Food," Ace answered.

"I'm coming with you, yoi," Marco said, getting up from the couch. He didn't even allow them to argue with his decision.

Ace sighed. He wasn't going to try and convince Marco to change his mind. Marco was in 'mother hen' mode and had to make sure that Ace was going to be safe, even though Ace could handle himself. Plus he had Luffy. And Zoro would be there too. Now Marco too.

"We just have to pick up Zoro and we're all set!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Where are we going to eat, yoi?" Marco asked.

"The Baratie," Luffy answered.

Ace stiffened a bit at the name, but relaxed quickly to make sure that Luffy, nor Marco, would know that he was uncomfortable with the decision.

"Sanji's going to be working today, so we can say hi to him," Luffy added.

"Alright, let's go then, yoi," Marco said.

Ace nodded. "Right."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Is this man an idiot? Why would he decide to go out not even a day after he was just attacked?_

"I'm coming with you, yoi," Marco had answered quickly. He hadn't really thought it through. He was in his 'mother hen' mode, as Ace had called it. It's not his fault that he cared for them.

He cared for them. No matter what his... _job_ required him to do. He couldn't quite bring himself to do any harm to them. He wouldn't be able to kill any of them.

_It will be my downfall._

"We just have to pick up Zoro and we're all set!" Luffy had yelled.

"Where are we going to eat, yoi?" Marco had questioned.

"The Baratie," Luffy answered with a wide smile.

Marco saw Ace stiffen. Ace had tried to relax, but he was still tense.

_Ace doesn't want to go there._

"Sanji's going to be working today, so we can say hi to him," Luffy had added.

Ace was trying his best to look happy for his adoptive brother. Marco wasn't the only one that care for him.

"Alright, let's go then, yoi," Marco said.

"Right," Ace said with a nod.

_This isn't going to end well._ _With Zoro, we should be fine. I trust Zoro. But Sanji... Luffy doesn't know Sanji like I do. Luffy doesn't know what Sanji really is. Luffy doesn't know that Sanji isn't on his team. Luffy doesn't know that Sanji isn't a hero. __Luffy doesn't know what heroes really do. Neither does Ace._

_They don't know that there hasn't been a real hero since Gol D. Roger._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HaVe A pArTy!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me tell y'all something, Marco is probably one of my favorites from OP. It's a battle between Marco and Bartolomeo for my ultimate love.

They all walked in, mostly, silence. They had picked up Zoro at some point and Ace was in charge of grabbing him by the collar of the shirt if he ever wandered too far from the rest of the group.

They had made it to the Baratie in no time at all. It seemed shorter than when Ace had run home with Sabo.

The Baratie was still open for business. It's not like this kind of thing didn't happen a lot. There was probably an attack that happened once a week. They were used to it by now. Ace wasn't sure if they would have to windows fixed or the blood completely cleaned out of the floor.

For a moment, Ace had forget all about what had happened here last night. He had forgotten all about it until he saw the window covered with just a sheet and then the obvious upside down table. It was probably covering the blood stain.

"You okay, yoi?" Marco had asked quietly to Ace.

Ace nodded lightly. It was hard to notice it at all.

"You sure, yoi?" Marco persisted.

"I'm sure," Ace whispered. "I'll be fine. Sabo will be fine. Everything will be fine."

"Sabo?" Marco questioned.

"Yeah, that's the name of the _innocent_ man that was _shot_ last night," Ace said. He was upset.

_Who would shoot an innocent man in the middle of a date?_

Marco nodded, showing that he understood.

"Guys, there's a table for us over here!" Luffy shouted, drawing quite a lot of attention to himself.

"Luffy, be quiet, we're in a restaurant... with other people," Ace said.

Luffy clearly wasn't listening to him. Zoro let out a long yawn and followed Luffy to the table that he had found.

Luffy sat down, Zoro next to him. Ace sat down in front of Luffy, which left Marco sitting next to him. A waiter was with them shortly. It wasn't Sanji.

"Tell Sanji to come out here," Luffy told the waiter. The waiter nodded then left back to the kitchen to presumably get Sanji.

Shortly after the other waiter left, Sanji had come out to the table. He was smoking, as usual.

"Sanji, give us the usual," Luffy ordered.

"Right away, captain," Sanji nodded.

Sanji then disappeared into the kitchen. He was gone for quite some time, then came out with several trays of food.

"Here you are," Sanji said, placing the plates onto the table. "I don't want to see any wasted food."

"Don't worry about that!" Luffy exclaimed, already basically inhaling the food before him.

"Oi, Luffy, leave some for the rest of us," Zoro said.

Ace smiled softly at his brother and his friend. _His closest friend._

_Zoro would never do anything that would hurt Luffy in any way._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ace was uncomfortable the entire walk to the Baratie. Marco could tell. He didn't talk, which was strange. He didn't even really look at the others.

The second they reached the Baratie, Marco decided to ask how Ace was doing. "You okay, yoi?" he asked quietly.

Ace gave a very, _very_ small nod.

"You sure, yoi?" he persisted.

"I'm sure," Ace whispered. "I'll be fine. Sabo will be fine. Everything will be fine."

"Sabo?" Marco questioned.

_If we are thinking of the same Sabo, then Ace has dug himself a massive ditch that will be nearly impossible to get out of._

"Yeah, that's the name of the _innocent_ man that was _shot_ last night," Ace said. There was a hint of anger in his voice.

_Innocent? Sabo is anything but innocent. I agree that he shouldn't have been shot last night, but he is far from innocent._

Marco nodded anyway.

"Guys, there's a table for us over here!" Luffy shouted.

"Luffy, be quiet, we're in a restaurant... with other people," Ace scolded.

Luffy led them all to the table. Zoro had set next to Luffy, so that meant that Marco would sit next to Ace.

A waiter came to greet them shortly afterwards. It definitely wasn't Sanji.

"Tell Sanji to come out here," Luffy told the waiter. The waiter nodded then left.

It didn't take Sanji long to get out of the kitchen. He was smoking. He looked around the table, but his gaze stopped at Marco. Sanji gave him a questioning gaze and glanced towards Ace.

Marco shook his head in reply.

_Now is not the time. Nor will it ever be. You aren't allowed to lay a hand on Ace._

"Sanji, give us the usual," Luffy ordered.

"Right away, captain," Sanji nodded as he left towards the kitchen.

He was gone a for some time, then he came back with a lot of plates and trays.

"Here you are," Sanji said, distributing the plates around the table. It seemed to be completely random, so that they could choose what food they wanted to eat. "I don't want to see any wasted food."

"Don't worry about that!" Luffy exclaimed, already eating the food

"Oi, Luffy, leave some for the rest of us," Zoro said.

Marco noticed the small smile on Ace's face.

_It's good to see that he's taking this somewhat well. If things do get rough though, we have Zoro to help. Zoro is someone that I can trust. He's someone that would do anything for Luffy._

_Zoro would never do anything that would hurt Luffy in any way._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who are y'all's favorite OP characters?
> 
> P.S. Sorry that these chapters have been a little bit shorter, we're kind of at a less action packed point in the story, so I'm drawing out my writing a bit. I want to be able to have a chapter to post every day, but if I write too much in one chapter, I won't have enough for the next chapter.
> 
> Quick Question:  
Would you rather me post a longer chapter every other day, or a shorter chapter every day?


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How're y'all liking it so far?

Sabo woke up to an unknown room. There was a single, unknown man in the room.

He sat up slowly with a grunt, causing the unknown man to look his way.

"Where am I?" Sabo asked. His voice was slightly hoarse.

"The infirmary," the man answered.

"I figure that out. I want to know where the infirmary is," Sabo said.

"It's in an undisclosed location," he answered.

Sabo sighed and threw the covers off of his legs. He got off the bed. There was no pain. There weren't even any bandages. His shirt was clean too, but it might just be a new shirt.

_Why am I even here?_

"Sit back down," the man ordered. "You aren't allowed to leave until Ace knows that you are awake and doing well."

"Why am I even here?" Sabo asked. "I didn't see any bandages, nor do I feel any pain."

"You were shot. You lost a lot of blood," the man explained. "That's why your memories is a little foggy."

"Then why am I not in pain?" Sabo asked. "Are you that good of a doctor?"

"It was another hero," the man answered.

"_Another?_" Sabo began. "You mean that you are also a hero?"

"Yes, but I'm a more underground hero. Not many people know about me," explained the man.

Sabo nodded in understanding.

"I'll contact Ace now and let him know," the man said.

Sabo nodded again.

The man pulled out a phone. He stood there, waiting for Ace to answer the call. He tapped his foot impatiently, then he suddenly stopped and spoke into the phone.

"He's awake now," the conversation began.

Sabo couldn't hear what Ace was saying on the other side, but the man soon turned to Sabo and walked towards him.

"He wants to talk to you," the man said, handing Sabo the phone.

"Yes?" Sabo answered.

**"Oh, good, Sabo. How are you doing?" **Ace replied.

"I'm doing fine. I'm not in pain. I'm not even really sure why I'm here."

"You lost a lot of blood," the man chimed in.

"I lost blood, but other than that, I'm fine."

**"That's good."**

**"Oh, Ace, is that your boyfriend?" **an unknown voice on the phone asked.

**"Oi, Luffy, let your brother talk on the phone in peace,"** another voice said.

**"Sorry about that, I'm with my brother, Luffy right now. He's very interested into my personal life,"** Ace apologized.

_Wait. Brother? Luffy? Monkey D. Luffy?_

**"Anyway, we're eating food right now, so I've got to go. I'm glad you're okay," **Ace said.

**"Bye Ace's boyfriend!"** the voice he thinks was Luffy's said.

"Bye Ace, I'll see you later."

**"Bye Sabo."**

The phone call ended as abruptly as it started. Sabo handed the man back his phone, then stood up from the bed.

"Can I leave now?" Sabo asked.

"I don't care, just don't get lost on your way out," the man shrugged. "Take a left out of this room, then down the stairs, then it's the big double doors near the bottom of the stairs"

Sabo repeated the directions to himself, then headed towards the door.

"Make sure Garp doesn't see you either," the man warned as Sabo was about to open the door.

Sabo's hand froze on the door handle.

"I don't think he'd like finding out that _you_ are here," he said.

"Who are you?" Sabo asked.

"Trafalgar D. Water Law."

Sabo opened the door and walked out. A left, then down the stairs, then out of the large double doors.

_Ace lives with Garp. Ace isn't a normal citizen. His brother is Monkey D. Luffy. How could I not have figured it out earlier? The voice. The black hair. The gray, almost silver, eyes._

_He should have figured it out sooner._

_Ace... _was_ Solar Flare._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Law walked to Garp's office. He had his suspicions, but now... now he was sure. It was too convenient for Ace to run into him at the mall, then for Wildfire to show up from behind the store that he had just gone behind.

Their voice. Their hair. Their stature. Their similarities in their walks and gestures.

_And then _this.

It was so obvious now.

Law knocked on the wooden door, then opened it.

Garp looked to Law in confusion.

Law made sure the door was completely closed and locked. Then he spoke.

"I know who Wildfire is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got a lot planned for this story. It's gonna be long.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do I write here?

"Where were you?" Koala demanded. "You go on _one_ date, then you don't come back for almost two days."

"Sorry, it was an unplanned thing," Sabo began. "Someone shot me in the middle of the date."

"You got shot?!" Koala cried.

Sabo nodded simply.

"Do you think they knew who you really are?" Koala questioned. "I mean, why else would the shoot you."

"They weren't actually aiming for me," Sabo said.

"Then how did you even get shot?" Koala asked.

"I was in the way," Sabo answered.

"So they _really_ don't know who you are," Koala said.

"It would seem so," Sabo agreed.

"That's good, at least," Koala sighed.

"But there is someone that definitely knows who I am," Sabo added.

"What?" Koala asked. She didn't even ask loudly. That was saying something about how surprised she was.

"Someone, somehow, knows who I am," Sabo repeated.

'Who? We need to know," Koala demanded.

"Trafalgar D. Water Law," Sabo answered.

"I'll go to Eustass, you go to Pirate King," Koala ordered.

"Roger (pun intended) that," Sabo agreed.

Koala made here way to the basement, and Sabo went up the stairs to the infamous' Pirate King's room.

Sabo knocked on Roger's door, waited for the 'come in' from the villain, then entered into the room.

"Ah, Sabo," Roger began upon seeing him. "I heard what happened. Are you doing okay?"

"Yes, I was taken too an incredible doctor, and hero, that was somehow able to fix me right up. I don't feel any pain, nor were there any bandages. There isn't even any proof that I was shot at all. The only majour thing was that I had lost a lot of blood," Sabo explained.

"They took you to a hero?" Roger questioned with a little hint of suspicion. There was also a hint of concern and urgency.

"Yes," Sabo nodded.

"Did anyone figure you out?" Roger asked.

"That's... actually, why I'm here to talk to you," Sabo said with a little bit of nervousness.

"Who do we need to eliminate?" Roger questioned.

"His name is Trafalgar D. Water Law," Sabo said.

"Did you say _'D._?'" Roger asked.

Sabo nodded.

"And he's a hero, you say?" Roger asked.

Sabo nodded again.

"Okay," Roger nodded.

Sabo was getting ready to leave the room, but he suddenly turned around.

"Also," he began, "I believe that I have discovered the identity of Solar Flare."

"Oh?"

"Yes," Sabo nodded. "I believe that Solar Flare is a man named Ace."

There was a silence, then Roger answered.

"Okay, I'll look more into it," Roger said.

"That's all then," Sabo said, finally opening the door and leaving the room, closing the door gently.

His phone buzzed.

It was a text from Ace.

**Thursday at 3pm?**

**At the park?**

**The one where we met the second time.**

**Sound good?**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was surprised to see Sabo at my door. I know he was resilient, but he was just _shot._ He was bound to be in pain and to have lost a decent amount of blood. It was probably difficult for him to find someone that was actually able to fix him up. It probably wasn't free to get stitched up either.

"Ah, Sabo," Roger began when Sabo had walked in. "I heard what happened. Are you doing okay?"

"Yes, I was taken too an incredible doctor, and hero, that was somehow able to fix me right up. I don't feel any pain, nor were there any bandages. There isn't even any proof that I was shot at all. The only majour thing was that I had lost a lot of blood," Sabo had explained.

"They took you to a hero?" Roger questioned.

_That's not good. It's never good to be taken to a hero. It's risky to even be taken to a real doctor._

"Yes," Sabo nodded.

"Did anyone figure you out?" Roger asked.

"That's... actually, why I'm here to talk to you," Sabo said. He seemed a little nervous.

"Who do we need to eliminate?" Roger questioned.

"His name is Trafalgar D. Water Law," Sabo said.

_D? He has that name too? Did I hear correctly?_

"Did you say _'D_?'" Roger asked.

Sabo nodded.

_He really does have that name._

"And he's a hero, you say?" Roger asked.

Sabo nodded again.

_What is he doing as a hero with _that_ name._

"Okay," Roger nodded.

Sabo was about to leave, but he turned around suddenly.

"Also," he began, "I believe that I have discovered the identity of Solar Flare."

"Oh?"

"Yes," Sabo nodded. "I believe that Solar Flare is a man named Ace."

Roger flinched for a moment. It wasn't noticeable to those that didn't know what to look for.

_How did he figure it out?_

"Okay, I'll look more into it," Roger said.

"That's all then," Sabo said. Then he left the room.

Roger let out a sigh.

_What has my son done to allow Sabo to figure him out?_

Rogers phone then began to ring.

He picked it up, without hesitation, when he saw just _who_ was calling.

"What is it?"

**"I'm calling in a meeting."**

"Now?"

**"Yes."**

"I'll be there shortly."

**"You'd better be there Roger."**

"Don't worry about it Newgate. I'll be there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I just realized that Marco could have totally healed up Ace's arm. I might have Marco do that in a later chapter now. Or I might just leave it the same. I'm probably going to change it though.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is a little later than usual, my power went out, so I didn't have any wifi till not to long ago.

Eating with Marco, Luffy, and Zoro had been fun for Ace. He got to hang out with his adoptive brother, his brother's friend and loyal follower, and someone that he would consider to be a good friend. He got to learn a little bit more about Marco and Zoro. He learned that Zoro wasn't technically a hero, but not quite a villain. He called himself an anti-hero. He did the right thing, but just not always in the right way.

Zoro wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone if he had the right reason.

_Or if Luffy told him too._

But Zoro would do anything for Luffy. That's just the kind of relationship they have. Zoro isn't usually one to second guess Luffy. Even if it is clearly a bad decision. But Ace is yet to see Zoro do something _really_ bad. Something worse than just killing.

_What could possible be worse than killing someone else?_

Ace has never seen Zoro betray Luffy. It's just something that would never- could never happen. Ever. It is literally impossible for Zoro to betray Luffy.

Ace also learned a little bit about Luffy's other friend, Sanji. Sanji worked as a chef at the Baratie, obviously. He seemed to trust Luffy very much and seems to follow him, butt Ace hasn't learned quite enough about him to find out if he is as trustworthy as Zoro. He did seem like a good guy though.

Then there was Marco. Ace has lived with Marco for quite some time, but he somehow doesn't know that much about him. Ace didn't even know Marco's age or birthday. He still isn't sure about Marco's hero name either.

He's not sure if Marco even _has_ a hero name.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Good to see you Newgate," Roger greeted with an outstretched hand towards the tall man.

"Roger," Newgate greeted, shaking Roger's hand after just a moment of hesitation.

"Why exactly did you call this meeting?" Roger asked, sitting down at the large, round table that only held himself and Newgate.

"There was a mishap that occured during one of my men's recent missions," Newgate began.

"And what would that mishap be?" Roger questioned. Roger knew exactly what the mishap was, he just wanted to hear it from Newgate himself.

"They shot one of your men instead of their intended target," Newgate explained.

"So that's what happened to Wildfire," Roger mumbled. "I don't want to hear of this happening again."

"I sent Marco to deal with it," Newgate said. "We won't be hearing from the falter again."

"That seems a bit extreme for failing one mission," Roger pointed out.

"Normally, it would be, but he shot one of _your_ men, which makes the situation a little bit different," Newgate said. "Plus, he wasn't even supposed to attack that target. The target had been put off limits for the time being."

"Well then, I'm glad to hear that the proper punishment was delivered," Roger smiled.

"However, Marco reported that he had mentioned that one of your men had ordered the change of plans," Newgate added.

"Did he mention a name?" Roger asked.

"I believe it was Dragon," Newgate said.

"Well, Whitebeard, I appreciate the calling of this meeting and shall find out who, exactly, had ordered this act of betrayal," Roger said, standing up from his chair and making his way to the door.

"Likewise, Pirate King."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not going to lie, I love storms, I even think power outages are fun, but I just don't like the fact that we lose wifi. I need the wifi to write. Also, sorry that it's a bit short, I just really wanted to get a chapter out for you guys.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know what I want for this story, I just don't know how to get to that point.

_Thursday morning_

Sabo wasn't going to lie. He was just a tad nervous for the day. Ace had asked to meet him and he didn't know what it was all going to be about. He really hoped it wasn't going to be Ace telling him that they should never talk to each other again.

Sabo had just met Ace and found someone that he was actually interested in. It wasn't often that Sabo, as a villain, found someone that was willing to even talk to him, much less ask him out on a date. Sabo really didn't want to lose this one relationship he's had. He even saved Ace from a bullet without any thought as to why he was doing it.

_But I'm a villain._

But he didn't hesitate to take a bullet for Ace. It truly is something that Sabo's heard of before.

A villain saving someone else.

Even one of the many other villains. He's never seen a villain save another villain. Not even Koala. All the other villains ignore someone in need like second nature. But sometimes, Sabo really had to fight himself in order to not save one of his fellow villains.

Like Hack.

Sabo had to argue with himself several times in order to finally convince himself that he wasn't going to go back for Hack. Hack was a fellow villain. Sabo _knew_ him. Sabo was right there. Sabo could have gone back and helped out Hack, but he couldn't.

_I'm a villain._

Of course he was going to see Ace though. Even though his true identity has been revealed. He don't think that Ace's figured out who he is yet. He could use this situation to his advantage. He could learn a little more about the hero then use that information in the future. He might be able to find out any weaknesses. This situation seemed almost perfect.

He didn't tell Sabo why he wanted to see and talk to him. He didn't tell Sabo anything at all.

Actually, he did mention wanting Sabo to meet his little brother, but he wasn't sure if Monkey D. Luffy was actually going to be there. But if he did show up, Sabo could learn a little more about Luffy, too, then also use that information to his advantage.

The situation seemed, almost, like it was served to him on a silver platter.

_It was perfect._

Time seemed to pass quickly, and before Sabo knew it, he was getting ready to leave for the park. He wasn't questioned on his way out, seeing as Koala was not there to pester him.

He left quickly and easily. he headed straight to the park. It was a much short walk than he remembered. Maybe it was just because he was rushing, just a bit, to get there. He really wanted to know why Ace wanted to talk to him.

It could be that Ace did somehow find out who he was. Someone could have told him. _Law_ could have told him.

Maybe it was just because Ace wanted to see if Sabo was okay. Maybe he just wants to thank me in person. Maybe he wants to call off the relationship that they didn't even have.

Either way...

_I. Am. A. Villain._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luffy invited Zoro to go with him and his brother to go meet his brothers 'boyfriend.' Zoro, of course, said yes to his captain. It just wasn't in his nature to say no to him. They were going to a park at 3 p.m.

Zoro said yes.

He didn't really have anything else to do, other than train and sleep, anyway. Luffy had always told him that he should go out and be more social with people. It just wasn't part of his nature though. He was not as extroverted as Luffy.

Zoro would have normally said no, but it was his captain asking. He couldn't say no to his captain.

"Zoro!" Luffy called his name and poked his face.

Zoro had, as usual, fallen asleep on the couch in their living room.

"Hmm?" Zoro hummed, angerly, but he couldn't really stay mad at his captain.

"It's almost 3, we have to go get ready to meet Ace's boyfriend," Luffy explained.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Ace yelled at Luffy.

"Then how come you want us to meet him so bad?" Luffy asked in response.

"He saved my life, besides you already met him, he just wasn't conscious for it," Ace said. "I must say though, I'm quite jealous that he was in the same room as you, but he didn't hear any of your yelling," Ace mumbled, just loud enough for Zoro, but not Luffy, to hear.

Zoro felt the start of a smile spread onto his face.

"Well, we won't get to see him if Zoro doesn't hurry off the couch," Luffy said, poking Zoro's face again.

"Okay, okay, I'm up," Zoro said, swatting Luffy's hand away and sitting up.

"Yay!" Luffy cheered. "Now let's go!"

Zoro smiled as Luffy ran around the room in a small circle with his hands in the air.

_That's _my_ captain._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't wait 'til we start getting into the good stuff again.
> 
> P.S. From now on, I might not post any chapters on Sundays. It's not that I'm taking a break from the story, it's just that I want to take a break from writing every so often. It's no good if I rush the story, so I think pausing and looking back at my work once a week will be really beneficial.
> 
> I will not be posting tomorrow, nor any other Sunday for a short while. I just want to see if it helps me relax a bit. I've already got homework, but I like you guys more. I will still be posting every day, that is not Sunday, though, so you will still get new chapters almost everyday.
> 
> Sorry! I'm just new to the whole writing a new chapter everyday and want to find the best way for you and me. Anyway, thanks for reading this far y'all! I really, really do appreciate it!


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back and ready for action.

Sabo didn't remember the walk to the park being this short, but maybe it was always this short and he just didn't pay attention.

Well, anyway, Sabo had made it to the park. He waited on the exact bench that Ace had asked him out at. Ace wasn't anywhere to be seen, but then again, Sabo was decently early.

Sabo was like that. He would always show up early to meetings and for missions. That's just how he is. He'd rather be an hour early than 15 minutes late. Luckily, he was only five minutes early, rather than an hour. Being an hour early would just be awkward, but it would ensure that he would be there and be prepared.

Sabo didn't even see Ace when the clock finally tolled 3. Maybe he was just running a little late. Something had come up on their first date that caused him to be late, so it might have happened again. It's only the second time, so it's nothing of concern.

Yet.

Sabo checked the time again at 3:07. He looked up from his watched and over the hill. As if on cue, from over the hill, Sabo could see Ace, as well as... Monkey D. Luffy... and a... green haired man?

Sabo was unaware that Ace was going to be bringing anyone, much less Monkey D. Luffy. That meant that Ace was still in the dark about Sabo's true identity. If Ace had known who Sabo was, he wouldn't bring his brother within 300 feet of Sabo.

Sabo was safe.

For now.

"Sabo!" Ace yelled up at him.

"Hey!" Sabo yelled back, waving his hand at Ace and his companions.

"Sorry, I didn't mean for them to tag along, but Luffy's got a mind of his own and Zoro goes wherever Luffy goes. It's hard to keep them apart," Ace explained as he got a little bit closer to Sabo, who was now standing.

"That's quite alright," Sabo smiled. Sabo then turned to Luffy, "You must be Luffy, you look a lot like your brother."

"We're not actually blood related," Ace said, "we're more like adopted brothers."

"Really?" Sabo asked in shock. "I would have never guessed. You two look so similar... But now that you mention it, there are quite a bit of differences between you as well."

"I know, we get that a lot," Ace laughed. "People are always so surprised when they find out Luffy and I aren't actually related. I mean, we do have similar hair and somewhat similar personalities, but that's about it. There are a few other things, such as our likes, that are similar, but that might just be because we lived together for quite some time."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Luffy," Sabo smiled.

Luffy smiled a huge smile in return. "Nice to meetcha too Sabo. I'm glad to finally meet Ace's boyfriend."

"Luffy!" Ace yelled. "He's not my boyfriend!"

"Yet," Luffy mumbled in response.

"I heard that!" Ace yelled. His face was slightly red.

Sabo laughed a bit at the two. Even if they weren't blood brothers, they were definitely brothers.

Once everything was calmed down, Sabo looked to the green haired man. He looked kind of familiar.

"You must be Zoro then," Sabo said.

"Yup," Zoro nodded.

His voice sounded familiar too. And so did his name.

_Zoro. Where had I heard that name before._

"Well, Sabo," Ace began, "we were thinking that a nice walk through the park might be nice and relaxing. They say fresh air is good for recovery, and I know that you don't get fresh air with the way you described your roomates."

"Well, I wouldn't really call this air fresh," Sabo said. "After years of pollution and chemical warfare, I'm not sure what breathing fresh air even feels like."

"That's true, but you know what I mean," Ace said. "It's good to get away from home every once in a while."

"It seems like you brought your home with you," Sabo pointed out.

"Believe me, Luffy isn't even half of it," Ace replied.

_I know. You've got Garp, Law, Zoro, and probably several other heroes living with you in that house. But I still don't remember where I've heard Zoro from. It would have to be the news or something. He has to be hero, since he's hanging out with Ace and Luffy, but Sabo doesn't remember him on any of the hero databases._

"Anyway, we should get started on our nice, relaxing, sort of fresh aired, walk," Ace said.

"That would be lovely," Sabo smiled.

Ace smiled and then the four of them began their walk through the park.

Sabo kept glancing at Zoro's green hair in front of him. He had to know him from somewhere.

_But where?_

His name was so familiar. Was it someone that Sabo had been tasked with killing?

_No. He would be dead if I were supposed to kill him._

His face. His bandana tied around his arm. His three earrings. His three swords.

Wait.

_Who just carries three swords around._

There only one person that Sabo knows that carries three swords. He has seen him before. It was just for a moment. It was dark. Everything was only lit by the street lamp nearby.

Zoro was looking for Sabo- well, Wildfire. It must have happened years ago.

But Zoro- Roronoa Zoro- the anti hero- was looking for him.

_He's not a hero._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zoro still wasn't sure how Luffy had managed to drag him along. It's because Luffy pulled the whole 'I'm your captain' line. Zoro fell for that one every time.

Just beecause he came willingly doesn't mean that he was enjoying himself. He didn't care about Ace's boyfriend. The only one he really cared about was Luffy and the rest of their team... but he especially cared for Luffy.

He and Luffy weren't in an official relationship, but everyone says that they are practically already married. No one can quite describe their relationship though. They could be described as best friends, but it's more than that.

They always just say that their relationship is really complicated and hard to explain.

People usually raise an eyebrow and give them a questioning look in response. Zoro was used to that response by now.

Zoro wasn't sure why he was _still_ being dragged along by Luffy. They had reached the park and were now in search of Ace's boyfriend. Ace said that he was going to be at the bench they were at when Ace asked him out, but Luffy kept getting distracted by any dog that walked past them, which was a big total of 2.

Ace did, finally, manage to spot his boyfriend. Zoro didn't remember what his name was. It might have been Soba, or something like that.

"Sabo!" Ace yelled up a hill towards someone sitting at a bench.

That's it. His name is Sabo.

"Hey," Sabo yelled back down.

"Sorry, I didn't mean for them to tag along, but Luffy's got a mind of his own and Zoro goes wherever Luffy goes. It's hard to keep them apart," Ace explained why they were a little late.

"That's quite alright," Sabo said. Sabo then turned towards Luffy, "You must be Luffy, you look a lot like your brother."

Zoro wasn't sure why, but he felt the sudden urge to put himself between Luffy and Sabo. He felt like he needed to protect Luffy from this man.

Zoro dismissed the feeling though and just placed a hand on his swords warily.

"We're not actually blood related," Ace replied, "we're more like adopted brothers."

"Really?" Sabo asked in shock. "I would have never guessed. You two look so similar... But now that you mention it, there are quite a bit of differences between you as well."

"I know, we get that a lot," Ace laughed. "People are always so surprised when they find out Luffy and I aren't actually related. I mean, we do have similar hair and somewhat similar personalities, but that's about it. There are a few other things, such as our likes, that are similar, but that might just be because we lived together for quite some time."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Luffy," Sabo said.

Luffy smiled in return, oh how Zoro loved that smile. "Nice to meetcha too Sabo. I'm glad to finally meet Ace's boyfriend."

"Luffy!" Ace yelled, his face flushed quite obviously. "He's not my boyfriend!"

"Yet," Luffy mumbled in response.

"I heard that!" Ace yelled.

Ace's, sort of sketchy, boyfriend laughed, then he turned to Zoro.

Zoro's hand tightened around his swords a little more.

"You must be Zoro then," Sabo said.

"Yup," Zoro nodded. He was very on edge.

"Well, Sabo," Ace began, "we were thinking that a nice walk through the park might be nice and relaxing. They say fresh air is good for recovery, and I know that you don't get fresh air with the way you described your roomates."

"Well, I wouldn't really call this air fresh," Sabo said. "After years of pollution and chemical warfare, I'm not sure what breathing fresh air even feels like."

Seems like Ace's boyfriend spoke a few words of truth. He might be trustworthy after all... but Zoro wasn't one to easily trust someone. He isn't as friendly as Luffy, and he definitely isn't as trusting.

"That's true, but you know what I mean," Ace said. "It's good to get away from home every once in a while."

"It seems like you brought your home with you," Sabo said. He was clearly referring to Luffy and Zoro.

"Believe me, Luffy isn't even half of it," Ace replied.

He really hasn't seen the half of it.

"Anyway, we should get started on our nice, relaxing, sort of fresh aired, walk," Ace said.

"That would be lovely," Sabo smiled.

Ace smiled at Sabo, then they began their walk.

Zoro could feel someone's stare on the back of his head. It must have been Sabo's gaze. He knew that Ace would probably be looking at Sabo the entire time, so the answer was simple.

Zoro's grip on his sword never loosened, not for a moment. In fact, now, it tightened even more.

Sabo was watching him.

_Why was Sabo watching him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking a day off really is nice. Y'all should try it once in a while


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurping up the noodles

He walked through the halls. They were mostly empty now. No one really came up here past dark. Actually, no one really came up here at all, except for those that absolutely needed to.

The fifth floor was the floor that everybody was too scared to come up to.

Roger, Sabo, and Dragon were the only ones that really came up here. Actually, they were the only ones that came up here. People usually just sent Sabo to talk to Roger for them.

His long cloak swished as he walked the silent hall. He was headed towards Roger's office. He had some... _business_ that he wanted to discuss with Roger.

Something had happened that he wasn't very fond of.

To be fair, he had retaliated, but Roger wasn't very happy with what he did either.

Well, with the stunt that Roger pulled, who wouldn't want revenge.

He wasn't _actually_ going to kill him. It was more towards... _incapacitation._

But Roger, Roger had fully planned to kill him. He sent someone that he _knew_ would complete the job. Even though he knew who was the target.

_He knew who he was trying to kill._

Roger wasn't usually one that made these kind of mistakes, neither was he, but everyone has their faults.

Plus...

_They are villains._

But Roger knew that he was overstepping their line. They had promised that they wouldn't mess with each other's... _personal_ life, but here they were.

He was just outside of Roger's door. He didn't even bother knocking. Roger would understand. He knew the importance of this meeting as much as he did.

Roger looked up at him. He wasn't surprised at all.

He knew that this meeting was due.

Actually, it was a little _past_ due.

"Roger," he greeted. "You know why I'm here."

"I believe I do," Roger said.

"Then you know why I did what I did?" he asked.

"I do," Roger nodded.

"Then you have no complaints?" he questioned.

"Only that you missed," Roger said.

"Only that?" he asked.

Roger nodded.

"Then we shall have no further issues?" he asked.

"None at all," Roger assured him.

"Good," he said.

He left without another word from himself or Roger.

Their meetings usually went like that. Short, sweet, and to the point.

They didn't usually have issues with each other, nor did they usually start conflict, but there were rare cases, like this one, where they had a small... _incident_. They usually got over those _incidents_ quickly. Just like this one.

He was glad that they got over it quickly.

There was one time where they had quite a large... _argument_. Let's just say, things weren't very pretty for either of them, or the rest of villains. The fifth floor actually had to get redone because of it. Then they were locked together in a room until they could figure out their problems.

That wasn't a fun time to think back on.

He doesn't think that he's ever seen Roger that mad at him.

He doesn't think that he'll ever see Roger that mad again, unless something were to _really_ happen to his son.

He knew Roger was mad about the whole shooting at the restaurant that had happened, but Ace wasn't _really_ hurt. They only one shot was Sabo.

Roger was also pretty upset when Sabo had broken Ace's shoulder and left him to burn inside the mall.

That wasn't a good day for Sabo.

There was no yelling, but there was definitely some _stronger_ words that were spoken a little louder than Roger usually spoke.

It was nowhere near as bad as some of the situations that he's seen.

Most of those situations where caused by him.

Roger seemed to really like yelling at him when they were younger. It's a good thing that there's no more of that any more.

He's actually pretty sure that people don't like the fifth floor because they think he and Roger are always fighting.

They don't fight as much as they used to.

Well, that isn't _entirely _true.

It almost seems that they were _born_ to fight against each other.

He was born in a family of heroes, but decided to betray his family and become a villain. Roger was always born a villain.

The son of a hero and the son of a villain.

But they worked for the same team.

They worked towards the same cause.

_They fought for the same cause._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ain't this funky? Only one perspective.
> 
> But whose?


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, I had a lot of homework today.

Sabo and Ace's date seemed to go by too fast. Sabo got to know Luffy and Zoro. He also got to know Ace a little better.

But that doesn't change who Ace _really_ is.

He's just a selfish hero that is only doing good things for money.

_Just like the rest of them._

Sabo was surprised to meet Roger in the main lobby of the Alliance building. Roger was facing him when he entered the door.

"I assume there is something import that you would like me to do," Sabo said.

Roger took a sip from whatever he was drinking and nodded.

"Your office?" Sabo asked.

Roger nodded again, then stood up from the chair, leaving his drink at the table.

_He's being quiet._

The entire walk to Roger's office was silent.

_He's being _unusually_ quiet._

"May I ask what this new mission is?" Sabo asked.

Roger didn't answer.

_Why was he being quiet?_

Once they were finally in the confines of Roger's office, Roger finally said something.

"Assassination," Roger said.

"Whose?"

"Dracule 'Hawk-Eyes' Mihawk."

Sabo could feel a chill go down his spine.

_Roger wants me to do _what_?_

It made sense why he was being quiet now. Mihawk's name a lone was practically taboo to all the villains. If Roger had mentioned Mihawk's name outside of this room, there would be chaos.

_All the villains feared him. Anyone- and everyone- feared him._

And Roger wants Sabo to kill him.

"You want _me_ to kill _him_?" Sabo questioned in disbelief. "That- that's impossible. There is no way in hell that I could ever think of killing him."

"Who said anything about 'I'?" Roger asked.

"And who has decided to go on this suicide mission with me?" Sabo asked.

"Akagami Shanks."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He's known Roger for years. Roger was his boss when he was younger, after all. But he still didn't know why Roger had asked him.

_Kill Hawk-Eyes?_

If anyone could do it, it was Shanks, but Hawk-Eyes was going to be hard to reach, especially since he doesn't show up as much. He stopped showing up after Shanks had lost his arm saving a kid. The kid wanted to be a villain, like Shanks, but Shanks showed the kid that it was better to save people than to harm them.

_It really is._

But Shanks recognized the right path too late. He couldn't just turn back now. He's just glad that Luffy is actually going to become a hero instead of a villain. It would torture him to no extent if he knew that an innocent boy had gone down the path of darkness because of him.

Shanks wonders how Luffy is doing these days. Is he working with his grandfather? Or did he find some other hero to work for? Or did he start is own hero agency?

Well, whatever it is, he just hopes that Luffy doesn't run into anyone too dangerous.

_Like Blackbeard._

Shanks really hoped that Luffy didn't run into Blackbeard. Shanks' scar felt like it was burning as he thought of the other villain.

_Even for a villain, Blackbeard is _evil.

Shanks was confident that he could beat Hawk-Eyes on his own, but Roger had insisted that Shanks take one of his men with him.

Roger had given him Sabo.

_Wildfire._

Sabo had made quite the name for himself. He didn't show up in the news often, but when he did, he really wrecked havoc. He was only captured once, but he was released immediately and no one from the press or public even found out about it.

_He was a good villain._

Shanks couldn't wait to work with him.

But it would be a shame to see Hawk-Eyes go so soon.

_If only there were some other way._

But a villain's got to do what a villain's got to do.

_Even if it means killing an old rival, old _ _f_ _riend..._

_...and maybe more._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't y'all just love procrastinating all of your work, then crying about how you have too much work?


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me just say, One Piece has got some serious OTPs.

Sabo was going to meet with Shanks today. Sabo had heard of him before. What villain hadn't? But Saabo had never actually met him. He heard that Shanks could take out 100 hero teams by just standing there. Sabo wasn't sure if it was true or not, but if it was, it would be impressive for sure.

Shanks didn't even have a villain name. People just called him "Akagami." Shanks could casually go into public and everyone would avoid him. The heroes wouldn't even show up unless he did something bad.

Shanks was feared by everyone.

Even the other villains were scared of getting on the wrong side of Shanks.

Shanks wasn't officially part of the Villain Alliance, but he did have a sort of deal to help Roger out when he needed it.

Apparently, Shanks had worked under Roger for a while, but Shanks left when he was a little older.

"Go meet him by the door," Roger instructed. "He should be here any minute."

Sabo nodded and walked towards the door.

"And make sure that you are actually prepared to meet him," Roger added. "If you aren't ready to meet him, then you'll pass out like the rest of the weaker villains."

"I'll keep that in mind," Sabo said.

"It'll be similar to meeting me for the first time, but imagine it three times worse," Roger said.

Sabo paused for a moment to think about the first time he met Roger. "Right," Sabo nodded.

"Good luck Sabo," Roger said, just before Sabo finally left the office.

_I'll be needing it. Especially when meeting a man like _this.

Sabo walked through the mostly empty halls. More and more people showed up on the floors as he walked down. The most people were on the first floor. If what Roger had said about the weaker villains passing out was true, then they were going to have a whole lot of unconscious bodies on the floor for a little while.

Sabo sat in the main lobby as he waited for the red haired man.

Sabo suddenly felt a very powerful person coming towards the door.

It had to be Shanks.

The door opened and people immediately began to fall over. If Sabo hadn't known better, he might have thought they were dead.

"What a way to make an entrance," Sabo said, turning his chair to face the red haired man.

"I had to make my presence known," Shanks responded.

"Well, it is wonderful to meet you, Akagami Shanks," Sabo said.

"I'm assuming that you are Sabo, also known as Wildfire," Shanks replied.

"You assume correctly," Sabo nodded. "Now then, shall we get to our business?"

"That would be the most obvious option," Shanks agreed. "There is just one thing though, I'm not sure where we are going to be able to find Hawk- Eyes."

"I know a guy," Sabo said, standing from his seat. "He's sort of, our official- what's the word- he's our official person finder."

"Will he be able to find Hawk- Eyes?" Shanks asked.

"He can find anyone," Sabo answered.

"But _can he find Dracule Mihawk?_" Shanks repeated.

"_He_ can find anyone_,_" Sabo also repeated.

"Hawk- Eyes is not _anyone_," Shanks explained.

"Eustass can find him," Sabo said. "Or he could at least find his last known position."

"Let's see just how good he is," Shanks said. "If I can't find Hawk- Eyes, then I doubt that he'll be able to find him."

"Are you skilled at finding people as well?" Sabo asked.

"I'm skilled at finding Hawk- Eyes," Shanks answered.

"Let's give Eustass a shot," Sabo suggested.

"Alright," Shanks finally agreed. "We'll give him a shot."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He couldn't tell his brother. Not yet at least. They had been through so much. His brother trusted him. His brother had saved him. But he wasn't on the same side as his brother.

But here we was, sitting silently in the same room as his brother as he gave them all the instructions for their newest mission.

He would complete the mission, of course. He had to keep up his act a little longer. Then he could be free. He could finally follow the path he wanted.

His superiors were counting on him to complete his current mission without getting found out. And if all went well, he could deal a huge blow to his brother and help his superiors out a lot.

His brother was someone that _needed_ to be taken down.

_No matter the cost._

His brother was looking at him.

"You alright?" his brother asked.

He nodded.

He wasn't really alright.

_I never was._

He didn't really like lying to his brother, no matter what his brother had done, or was doing.

He knew his brother was bad.

That's just how he grew up.

"That's good," his brother said. His brother resumed the meeting.

He was going to have to actually pay attention know that he knew his brother would be watching him a little more closely.

It was hard to pay attention though. He just had so many other thoughts on his mind.

_When is the right time to tell him? What if someone finds out. What if _he_ finds out?_

He decided not to think about it too much. He just needed to listen. He actually had a mission to do.

_I'm sorry brother._

_I really am._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got a lot planned for this story. Just you wait...


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jimmy Johns.

"Ace, there's someone that I want you to meet," Garp began.

Ace looked towards his adoptive grandfather. "Who is it?" Ace asked.

"He's a hero. He's not as active as he used to be an he's more underground now, but he was once a great hero," Garp said.

"It sounds like you're saying he's dead," Ace said.

"He's not dead," Garp said. "He just doesn't do majour hero stuff anymore. He only really shows himself when he is needed, and right now, he is very much needed."

"What's going on?" Ace asked.

"We have just received word that the villain known as Akagami is coming back into business," Garp answered.

Ace couldn't speak for a moment. "Akagami? Akagami Shanks?"

Garp nodded.

Ace had heard plenty about Shanks from Luffy. Luffy would go on and on about how Shanks saved him when he was a child. Luffy told Ace that he almost became a villain, but Shanks had told Luffy that he should become a hero instead. Luffy had somehow given up on becoming a villain and was then convinced to become a hero.

It sounded similar to Ace's story, but Ace had convinced himself not become a villain. He didn't have anyone telling him what the right path was.

But he knew this was the right path.

_I don't have to kill anyone this way._

"He's been inactive for over a year, but now he suddenly decides to show up and wreck chaos," Ace whispers.

"I'm not sure why, but if he is coming back into action, then we are going to need to get some help," Garp said. "That's why I have someone for you to meet."

"Who in this polluted world could even stand a chance against Shanks, much less beat him?" Ace asked.

"A man by the name of Dracule "Hawk-Eyes" Mihawk," Garp answered. "You might have heard of him before."

"Heard of him? He's one of the greatest heroes that this world has ever had," Ace said.

"He may be the only one that can actually beat Akagami," Garp said. "I want you to be there to assist Hawk-Eyes as well. You are one of the strongest heroes I have and you will definitely be able to off a sufficient amount of aid to Hawk-Eyes."

"I'll help," Ace agreed. "But I don't know if I will be of as much help as you think I will be."

"Trust me, you'll do fine," Garp reassured him.

"Is this a new mission then?" Ace asked. "You want me to help Mihawk capture Shanks."

"No," Garp said.

"Then what do you want me to do?" Ace asked.

"It's a little unusually, seeing as you are a hero," Garp began. "But this mission is not a capture mission."

_There's a reason why I'm a hero._

"This isn't like the others."

_I'm a hero because I don't want to kill anyone._

"I want you to kill Akagami Shanks.

_I don't want to kill anyone._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_My brother isn't the best person, but he's still my brother._

He didn't care what his brother had done, he was still his brother. He was his blood relative. They had been there for each other through thick and thin. They starved together. They slept on the streets together. 

_They survived together._

It is so hard to lie to a family member. It's nearly impossible. Siblings share all of their secrets with each other.

But there are somethings they can't know.

Like when you act like you are on the same side as your brother, but you are really working against him.

He has to stay silent, which isn't that difficult for him, but the number of times that he was just wanted to open his mouth and tell his brother everything was countless.

_It is so hard to lie to my only remaining blood relative._

_He trusts me with his life and would kill anyone that even thought of hurting me._

_But soon, he'll learn everything. He'll learn just how much of a dirty, lying, sibling, I really am. He'll learn everything._

He put up a facade all day everyday. He pretended to be something he's not. He acted clumsy and foolish, but it was all a mask he wore. He wasn't who everyone thought he was.

The brother of a majour player in the world of hero and villains. He was one of the strongest there is.

He didn't like lying to his brother.

He really didn't.

_It's too late now._

_My fate is already sealed._

_I'll die either way._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left you in that awful place. _ _I'm so sorry. I'm-_

Not talking to anyone.

He left.

He never actually answered to begin with.

**This number is unavailable right now. Try calling again later.**

Of course it is.

It always is.

_Please, just know that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave you._

_I'm just so, so sorry._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What're y'all's favorite One Piece ships? Or favorite ships from another show if you want.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School. No.
> 
> P.S. These chapters have got a lot of dialogue in them, so....
> 
> Enjoy!

"You must be Ace," Mihawk had greeted the younger boy.

"That's me," Ace nodded.

Ace couldn't have been more than 20 years old. They gave him a child. A literal child.

Mihawk was supposed to kill one of the most powerful and feared villains with a _child._

"Have you ever killed someone?" Mihawk asked.

"No," Ace answered. "I'm a hero, it's not my job to kill anyone."

"Well," Mihawk began, "that's not always the case."

"What do you mean?" Ace asked.

"There are special cases," Mihawk said. "If you don't fight Akagami with the intent of killing him, then he'll kill you."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ace said. "But I still haven't ever killed anyone before."

"You really are the peak of heroism aren't you?" Mihawk retorted.

"There's a reason why I'm a hero and not a villain," Ace said.

"But are heroes really all that heroic?" Mihawk asked.

Ace was clearly confused at what he meant.

"There are times where the line between a villain and a hero is blurred," Mihawk said.

"A powerful hero going into retirement after nearly killing an entire building of people," Mihawk said. "A powerful villain saves an entire building of people, but dies in the process."

"What are you talking about?" Ace asked.

"Two newspaper headlines that came out on the same day," Mihawk said. "It happened before you were born."

"Why would a villain die to save a bunch of people?" Ace asked. "And why would a hero even try to kill those people to begin with?"

"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become a villain."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Tell me, if you only had a day to live, would you rather light a skyscraper on fire, or save the skyscraper, and all those inside of it, from burning?" Shanks asked.

"Light it on fire, of course," Sabo answered.

"Why?"

"I'm a villain," Sabo explained. "It's part of my job."

Shanks nodded in understanding. "I see."

"What does this have to do with killing Mihawk?" Sabo asked.

"We aren't going to kill him," Shanks said.

"What? I thought that's the whole reason why you came here. I thought that was the mission," Sabo said.

"It is the mission," Shanks nodded.

"Then why are we going against it?" Sabo asked.

"You're a villain, right?"

"Of course I am," Sabo answered.

"Then why do you have to follow the instructions. You are free to do what you want. You don't have to listen to anyone," Shanks said. "That is why you became a villain, right? You don't want to listen to what other people tell you to do?"

Sabo hesitated, then nodded.

"Then why do you listen to Roger?" Shanks asked.

"He's the one that helped me find the path to becoming a villain," Sabo explained.

"Well, since I'm the one in charge of this mission, we are going to do things my way," Shanks said.

"Do I get to fight someone?" Sabo asked.

"Of course, what would be a mission without fighting?" Shanks replied.

"Then we do things your way," Sabo said. "For now."

Shanks smiled. "I can work with that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sleep. Yes.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk how long this fic is going to end up being.

"Of course I know where Dracule Mihawk is. Who do you think I am? An amaeture?" Kidd said.

Akagami Shanks had kept pushing the question, even after Kidd had answered him several times.

"It's just, Hawk-Eyes is a hard man to find," Akagami said.

"I know where he is," Kidd repeated for probably the seventh time.

"Then show us," Sabo ordered, finally breaking the never ending cycle between Akagami and Kidd.

Kidd turned his chair towards his multi screened computer. He typed a few things, then he pulled up a live video from the security cameras in Garp's mansion. It was just Mihawk sitting alone in a room. He was reading something.

"Is this live?" Sabo asked.

"Of course it is," Kidd said. "I'm connected to the security feed in Garp's mansion."

"That's incredible," Akagami said. "Maybe I should have you join my team."

"Maybe you should join ours," Kidd retorted.

"Just because I don't live here doesn't mean I'm not part of the Alliance," Akagami said.

"Then how come your name isn't on the list of official members?" Kidd asked.

"Eustass, what are they saying?" Sabo asked, interrupting their conversation once again. "Someone else walked in and they started talking."

Kidd turned to the screen, he wasn't even paying attention to it. Sabo was right, Solar Flare- Ace- had entered the room. They were now talking about something.

"I'll try and get into the audio," Kidd said as he began to tap away on one of his many keyboards.

There was a small beep, then faint voices could be heard. All of them grew silent so they could listen closely.

The voices were kind of difficult to tell apart, but they still managed to catch the conversation.

**"Have you ever killed someone?"**

**"No. I'm a hero, it's not my job to kill anyone."**

**"Well, that's not always the case."**

**"What do you mean?"**

**"There are special cases. If you don't fight Akagami with the intent of killing him, then he'll kill you."**

Kidd looked to Akagami and gave him a questioning glance, as if to ask, 'Are they planning on attacking you?'

Akagami shrugged, then Kidd turned his attention back to the live feed.

**"-** **peak of heroism aren't you?"**

**"There's a reason why I'm a hero and not a villain."**

**"But are heroes really all that heroic?"**

There was a small pause.

**"There are times where the line between a villain and a hero is blurred. ** **A powerful hero going into retirement after nearly killing an entire building of people. A powerful villain saves an entire building of people, but dies in the process."**

Akagami had a grip on Kidd's chair that suddenly tightened.

Akagami knew something about this incident that Kidd didn't. That's a first. Kidd usually knows everything before anyone else does.

**"What are you talking about?"**

**"Two newspaper headlines that came out on the same day. It happened before you were born."**

**"Why would a villain die to save a bunch of people? And why would a hero even try to kill those people to begin with?"**

**"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become a villain."**

**"You say that like you don't have a choice but to eventually become a villain."**

**"Everyone makes mistakes."**

**"But a hero suddenly becoming a villain? That's a pretty big mistake."**

**"Can I trust you with a secret?"**

**"What?"**

**"Can I trust you enough to tell you something that no one else should know?"**

**"Of course you can."**

**"You promise that nothing from this conversation will leave this room?"**

**"I promise."**

**"The villains... they are actually the ones that are right."**

**"What do you mean? They are evi-"**

**"No. The heroes are the evil ones. Sure, the heroes aren't killing people, but they are breaking plenty of laws just because they have the title of 'hero.'"**

**"I still don't understand what you are saying."**

**"I'm saying that it's not too late now. It's not too late to leave this corrupted business. You can save yourself before you get in too deep. Take your brother with you. There's a good villain out there. His name is Pirate King. He'll gladly take you in. He'll save you from your dark future."**

**"No."**

**"What did you say?"**

**"I said no. I'm not going to Go- Pirate King. I promised myself that I would never go to him. Never. I don't care if this business is corrupted, I'd rather save people than kill them. That's why I became a hero."**

There was a long and deep sigh.

**"Trust me kid, I speak from experience. If I could change the path I went down, I would."**

**"Then I guess I'll die before I become a villain. I refuse to have my name disgraced with the title of 'villain.'"**

**"Then you intend to die the moment you step foot in front of Akagami. He'll kill you without hesitation."**

**"Then so be it."**

Ace stood up from the chair he had sat down in a while ago. He headed towards the door.

**"The conversation doesn't leave this room."**

Ace left the room, leaving Mihawk alone.

The video grew silent with the closing of the door.

"They're after you Akagami," Kidd said.

"That's what you got from the video?" Sabo asked.

"Well, we have a mission to complete," Akagami said. "We know where Hawk-Eyes is, so we have to get moving."

"Wait. Right now?" Sabo questioned.

"Of course right now. We don't have a moment to spare," Akagami said.

Sabo said nothing.

Akagami laughed. "What? You think that you would get a day to prepare?" Akagami asked. "This isn't that type of mission. This mission is against Dracule Mihawk. We don't have time to prepare, or we're giving him time to prepare. If we don't catch him off guard here, then he'll catch us off guard later. We have to act now."

"Right then," Sabo nodded slowly.

"Let's go," Akagami said, turning away from Kidd and heading towards the stairs.

Sabo followed wordlessly after Akagami, leaving Kidd all alone.

Kidd did get more from the feed. He found out that there was something Akagami knew that he didn't. He'd have to get to work to change that.

His eyes roamed over his screens as he searched for the event that was mentioned in the video.

He found several articles and news reports, but none said the names of either villain or hero.

That meant that Kidd was going to have to go a little farther.

He went through archives. He went through places that he wasn't supposed to go through. He searched through everything.

_But it's like he just up and disappeared._

That meant that he would have to go even deeper.

_Gol D. Roger's private intell._

Kidd was the only one that had access to it.

It's only because he created the security for it. No one but Kidd and the Pirate King are able to reach that information.

Kidd began the long process of getting into the files. It took forever, but if it had the answers, it would be worth it.

He had to know who-

_No._

_It couldn't be _him.

_It's impossible._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's probs gonna be heckin' long, so be ready for that.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeet?

"What where you doing in my private files?" Roger asked.

"There was something that I needed to know," Kidd answered.

"If you need something, you can come to me," Roger said.

"You wouldn't have answered this one," Kidd replied.

"How can you be so sure?" Roger asked.

"Because i know the answer now," Kidd answered.

"And what is it that you know the answer to?" Roger questioned.

"The name of the villain that was killed saving an entire building of people," Kidd answered.

Roger seemed to stiffen just a bit. It was hard to notice, but Kidd payed attention to it. He knew that when Roger stiffened, even just slightly, he wasn't going to answer a question. That's why Kidd usually went to the files. He knew that Roger wouldn't answer most of his questions, so he has no other choice.

"Why did you need to know that?" Roger asked.

"Is it true that there was a hero that tried to kill an entire building of people?" Kidd responded.

"Why did you need to know that information?" Roger repeated.

"It's none of your concern," Kidd said. "_Pirate King._"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Brother, do you know how hard it is to keep this a secret?_

_Of course you don't._

_But trust me, it's one of the hardest things in my life._

_It's because you have always been there for me. In the past and present. When I came to you, acting like I was broken, you took me in without hesitation because I'm your brother._

_But I'm not actually broken. I'm very much okay. I'm just fine._

_I promise._

_But this will hurt me much more than it hurts you._

_A gunshot wound will heal, but I don't think I'll be able to heal the damage done to my heart by being forced to lie to you._

_I hate it. I hate it. I hate it_

_I hate lying to you._

_There's so much that I wish I could tell you, but I can't._

_I just want our life to be normal again._

_Well, it was never really normal, but I just want to be happy with the only remaining family member I have._

_I know that you'd do anything for me. I just wish that I could do the same for you._

_But I have a mission. I have a mission that I can't fail._

_But even if I fail or succeed, I won't be happy with it._

_I'll either betray my only family, or I'll betray the people that saved my life._

_I'm still so sorry._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Let's go Zoro, we have an unofficial mission to accomplish!" Luffy exclaimed.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Zoro groaned, sitting up from his sleeping position on the couch. "What's the mission this time?"

"There's a villain that was spotted nearby," Luffy said.

"Aren't you not allowed to do all the hero stuff?" Zoro questioned.

"That's why this is an unofficial mission," Luffy explained.

"I don't think that's how things really work," Zoro said.

"Whatever. I just want to go fight some villains!" Luffy yelled.

"Alright, alright, fine," Zoro sighed. "We can go fight some villains. But no big ones."

"Aww, that's no fun," Luffy whined.

"Luffy, you aren't ready for the big ones yet, yoi."

Zoro turned and found Marco had joined in on their conversation.

"Marco!" Luffy yelled. There seemed to be a little bit of fear in his voice. "Please don't tell Ace. I don't want him to know that I'm going to fight villains unofficially."

"Don't worry, I won't tell him, yoi," Marco said.

"Yay!" Luffy exclaimed. "Come one Zoro, let's go fight some villains!"

"Just make sure you don't get hurt, yoi!" Marco yelled as Luffy ran to the door with Zoro walking slowly behind him.

"I won't!" Luffy yelled back.

"I might have a heart attack if you got hurt, yoi," Marco said quietly.

Zoro wasn't sure if he was supposed to hear it, but he did. Zoro knows that Marco really cares for Luffy, no matter what Marco says. Marco is just like a mother hen, well, phoenix actually.

Zoro sighed again as he gave up and let Luffy drag him out the door.

Marco had nothing to worry about. Zoro was here with Luffy.

_I wouldn't let anything to happen to Luffy._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Or Yeehaw?


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "oof. no."  
-Chicken_NuggetsYum, 2019

"Someone's coming," Shanks said abruptly.

Sabo got the message and pressed himself up against the brick wall behind them.

Shanks was glad the Sabo was so well trained. Sabo knew what to do in every situation. He carefully analyzed everything, then he made his attack. Sabo was a good villain. He knew what he was doing.

The sun had set quickly. It didn't take long for it to get completely dark and for the street lights to turn on. Night time was the best time for a murder.

If that was what they were doing.

Shanks wasn't actually going to kill Mihawk. He couldn't kill his old rival. They have played the same game of cat and mouse for who knows how long. They knew each other when they were young. They would take turns capturing each other. Mihawk would throw him into jail, then he would somehow escape. Then Shanks would kidnap Mihawk, then he would somehow escape. That's just how it went. They never actually wanted to hurt one another.

A figure walked passed them in the dark. They didn't even spare a glance into the alley that Sabo and Shanks had hidden in.

Shanks hadn't even noticed that he had raised a hand to halt Sabo. Shanks lowered his hand after the man was completely out of sight.

"Let's go," Shanks said, making his way quickly, but carefully out of the alley and across the street. Sabo followed him closely. Sabo had almost stepped on Shank's heel, but that was good, that meant that Sabo knew how to sneak. He knew that they should practically be standing on each other to get across the road with the least amount of suspicion. If Sabo trailed behind, someone could see him. That's way Sabo walked so close.

Shanks had learned all these things when Roger was still training him. Shanks could only guess that Sabo had also learned from Roger.

Shanks stuck out an arm and stopped Sabo. It was too dangerous to speak now that they were so close to the building. There was a light on in the second floor. Shanks pointed to it, signalling that they should check that room first.

Sabo nodded in agreement.

Shanks then began to scale the building, using the windowsills and any loose brick or pole he could find.

Sabo followed close after him.

Shanks grabbed onto the intended windowsill and peaked slightly over.

Shanks only caught a glimpse of the man before he quickly ducked behind the wall.

That was not Mihawk.

Shanks motioned for Sabo to climb back down. Sabo understood the situation and quickly climbed down. Shanks followed Sabo down.

Shanks walked towards the side of the building, not even looking back towards the window or explaining it to Sabo. They walked around the side of the building, looking for another light. If Shanks knew Mihawk, which he did, he knew that Mihawk would still be awake right now. He was actually pretty sure that Mihawk didn't sleep. He was also pretty sure that Mihawk was a vampire.

No, not pretty sure, he was absolutely sure that Mihawk was a vampire.

Maybe being a vampire was Mihawk's power, but Shanks knew that Mihawk didn't have any power. Maybe Mihawk didn't have a power because he was a vampire.

_There's a light._

Sabo looked towards Shanks and pointed his head towards the light, then pointed at himself.

Sabo wanted to go check this one out.

Shanks nodded and let Sabo pass ahead of him.

Sabo climbed up the window quickly, but Shank's noticed something about Sabo's arm. He moved it differently. It's like he wasn't used to it. It was like it wasn't his own arm. Sabo did exactly what Shanks did and peered over the windowsill just slightly. Sabo ducked down, then looked towards Shanks.

_That mask of his really is creepy._

Sabo nodded.

Shanks smiled, just slightly, then he began to climb up to Sabo.

There was a shattering of glass.

Shanks looked up to Sabo quickly. A hand had shattered the window and was reaching for Sabo. Sabo quickly lit himself on fire, but the hand managed to grab Sabo's right arm before the fire grew too large.

Shanks quickly climbed the building and climbed into the window. He squatted on the windowsill and observed the situation.

Mihawk was holding his black sword at Sabo's neck. Sabo's fire had gone out as he laid helpless on the floor. He was clutching his right shoulder.

_He's hurt._

"Ah, Hawk-Eyes," Shanks began warily. "How are things going?"

Mihawk turned his gold eyes towards Shanks.

Shanks froze and put his hands up, as if he were being held at gunpoint.

"We're on a mission to kill you," Shanks said flatly.

Sabo looked up at him. Shanks could practically feel the confusion that was coming from Sabo.

"But I've decided to change the plan a bit," Shanks continued.

"I'm on a mission too," Mihawk replied.

"I know," Shanks said.

"Then why are you here?" Mihawk asked.

"I have a proposal," Shanks said.

"If I decline?" Mihawk asked.

"Then we'll kill you," Shanks answered.

"And if I accept?"

"Well, things can be arranged for that."

Mihawk removed the sword from it's threatening position above Sabo. He then sat down and motioned for Shanks to do the same. "Then let's talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another single perspective chapter.
> 
> Anyway, how are y'all feeling today? I'm feeling kind of phfajfefnijv today.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about not posting yesterday. I had a lot of homework and I had to watch my sister's volleyball game. But don't worry, you will still be getting the chapter that was supposed to be updated yesterday.

"So, we both are on a mission to kill each other, but neither of us want to, so I say we pull one of our old stunts," Shanks suggested.

"We could," Mihawk agreed. "But before we agree on anything, I want you to know that I'm not going to fight you. I also want to know who this friend of yours is."

"His name is Sabo," Shanks answered.

"Shanks, should we really be trusting him with my identity?" Sabo asked as he sat awkwardly to the side of Shanks and Mihawk.

"Of course it is," Shanks said. "Besides, he already knows. I bet he knew before I even told him."

"Alright then," Sabo said. "But can we trust him completely."

"Sabo, I trust Mihawk with my life. If I don't want anyone to know, then he won't tell anyone," Shanks explained.

Sabo nodded, acknowledging that he heard what Shanks had said.

"Then what do we do now?" Shanks asked Mihawk.

"We both refuse to complete the mission," Mihawk answered.

"Someone else will do it if we don't," Shanks said.

"But I thought you two were the only ones that could kill each other," Sabo said.

"We are," Mihawk began.

"But they have ways, that we don't know about, to get the job done," Shanks continued.

"If they took us on with a mass of powerful heroes and villains, then they might stand a chance," Mihawk added.

"Or they could use _that_," Shanks said, putting extra emphasis on 'that.'

"That?" Sabo asked.

"You don't need to know," Shanks said.

"Anyway, we still need to decide what we are going to do," Mihawk pointed out.

There was a sudden knock at the door, then it was opened.

"Mihawk, I need to t-"

The person that entered stopped speaking. Sabo looked to the person. It was Ace.

His gray, almost silver, eyes held something in them when he looked at Sabo.

_It was fear._

Ace was about to close the door, but Shanks was suddenly directly next to him.

Shanks grabbed Ace by the left arm and dragged him over to the rest of them. He closed the door on his way over.

"What's going on?" Ace asked frantically. "Mihawk, why are you talking with villains?"

"We are coming to an agreement," Mihawk answered.

Ace was sat down in the seat across from Sabo. He could see the nervous look on Ace's face. He could also see the way that Ace's eyes flicked with fear whenever he looked towards Sabo.

"We have decided that neither of us are going to actually complete our missions," Shanks said. "We are just figuring out how we are going to do it."

"One of us could always pull the 'I've actually been working for the other side the entire time,'" Mihawk suggested.

"But I thought you already were," Shanks said.

"I guess you could say that," Mihawk nodded. "But that means that I can say the same thing about you."

"Wait. What?" Ace asked, very confused.

"I'm not actually working for the heroes, but I'm not working for the villains. I act like I'm with the heroes, but I'm really doing my own thing," Mihawk explained.

"Same thing here, except for the fact that I call myself a villain instead of hero," Shanks agreed.

"So you aren't actually a hero," Ace stated, still in disbelief.

"That is what I just said," Mihawk said.

"But there's no proof of it," Ace pointed out. "No one even suspected a thing."

"I'm surprised about that," Mihawk said.

"With the number of times that both of us conveniently got away, you would think that they might catch on," Shanks added.

"But they never did," Sabo added. He made sure that he altered his voice.

Ace visibly flinched when Sabo spoke up. Sabo noticed his flinch. Shanks and Mihawk also seemed to notice. They even looked between Sabo and Ace for a moment afterward.

"They still haven't," Shanks said.

"But that might change with the way things are currently going," Mihawk added.

"Unless you can figure a way around it," Sabo joined in once again.

"Exactly," Shanks nodded.

"Then why doesn't one of you just fake your death," Ace said.

They all looked to Ace.

"...That- that's perfect," Shanks said, a small smile made it's away onto his lips. "If they don't catch on, it will be perfect. That will solve both of our problems. They won't blame you for not killing me, and they will congratulate me on the victory, or vice versa."

"Excellent," Mihawk agreed. His lips also seemed to curve up into the slightest of smiles.

"Then it's settled," Shanks said, standing up from the seat.

All of the others stood after him.

"We just need to decide who will take the fall," Shanks said.

"I'll do it," Mihawk offered. "My 'death' will have the biggest impact on the world."

"Deal," Shanks said, sticking his only hand towards Mihawk. "I have someone that I want to see grow up anyway."

Mihawk took Shanks' hand and shook it. "We'll just need to work out some details, then everything is done," Mihawk said.

Shanks then turned to Ace.

"Nothing leaves this room," Shanks said.

Shanks never actually mentioned any sort of threat, but the words themselves told Ace that if he said anything, he was a dead man.

Sabo then extended his metal hand to Ace.

Ace flinched a bit and was clearly taken aback by the action. He looked up at Sabo's mask, then back towards his hand.

"Well?" Sabo questioned. He moved his hand slightly closer to Ace.

Ace slowly reached his hand up to Sabo's.

Sabo could clearly see the brace that wrapped around Ace's hand and arm. 

Ace finally gripped Sabo's hand and shook it slightly.

Ace then tried to let go of Sabo's hand, but Sabo held on tighter.

Sabo got up close to Ace's ear. "This doesn't mean I like you," Sabo whispered. "Nor have I forgiven you for what you did to my arm."

Sabo then pulled his glove up a bit to show Ace his new cyborg arm.

"How?" Ace questioned. "How did you know?"

Sabo leaned away from Ace's ear and looked him straight in the eye. Sabo then let go of his hand.

"You've got the same eyes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'm really diggin' this book.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is today's chapter!

**Former Hero Dracule Mihawk Dead? Hero Solar Flare Hospitalized for Major Injuries?**

The words ran across the TV screen. Apparently Mihawk had done a wonderful job at convincing everyone he was dead. Ace also did a good job acting like he was hurt.

Except he actually was hurt. Ace had decided, on his own, that it would be best if he was actually seriously injured. That way he could really fool people. The only way he could fool people was by going into a coma and barely breathing.

**Villains Shanks and Wildfire are ** **Victorious.**

A news broadcaster then came online on the news.

_"What will our world do now that one of the greatest heroes of all time is dead? What do we do with this generation's upcoming leading hero in the hospital? What will we do knowing that the villain Shanks is the strongest villain in the world? What is this world going to do?"_

The broadcaster began to go into more detail about the fight.

_"They all were seen at the now burned down mall during that fateful night. It seemed like they were all planning on meeting there. The place went into flames immediately. The _ _burned ruins have now all seemed to turn into dust."_

The broadcaster paused for a moment, then continued.

_"By the time our crew had got there, the fight had already started. It didn't seem all that one sided, but the results show that we were wrong. We now know that Shanks dominated the fight against Mihawk, and Solar Flare just wasn't enough for the more experienced villain, Wildfire."_

_"Shanks' and _ _Mihawk's strength exceed all of ours. It was a common debate of who was stronger. Shanks or Mihawk? Villain or hero?"_

_"Everyone answered hero, of course, because the good guys always win. But we now know that that isn't true. We now know that the villains have the strongest man in the world on their side and we have nothing to combat it."_

_"The water heroes managed to put the fire out, but it had already spread several blocks and had killed hundreds. There was just nothing that we could do. We lost one of the world's greatest heroes. What will we do next? Will a new hero step up to take his place? Will the villains finally run as they want and cause even more chaos? Are the villains going to finally take over the world? This is-"_

He turned off the TV. He didn't care anymore. It was already too late.

_Another good hero gone, and I couldn't do anything._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who would have thought that just sitting in a hospital room next to a comatose patient could be so boring. Ace didn't do anything and Luffy couldn't even talk to him. Zoro was with him, but Zoro had decided to fall asleep.

"It's so boring just waiting for Ace to wake up," Luffy groaned, although no one heard his complaining.

Zoro seemed to open an eye to Luffy though.

"Aren't you worried about him?" Zoro asked.

"Nope," Luffy said. "He promised me that he wouldn't die before me, so unless I die, he's not dying anytime."

"That's not how promised work," Zoro pointed out. "You can't just decide that you aren't going to die."

"He's not going to die," Luffy repeated.

Zoro let out a sigh, then closed his eyes again.

"Please don't die on me Ace," Luffy said. It was no more than a whisper though.

Zoro was right. Promises didn't work like that. Luffy couldn't stop Ace's death, neither could Ace.

No one could stop death. Death made his own choices. Death takes its victims, and you aren't allowed to stop him.

_Death, is inevitable._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the chapter is a little later than usual, I've just been pretty busy lately. I've also been writing the chapters a little shorter as well, so sorry if you like the longer chapters.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, I'm still writing this book, I've just been super busy. I've got AP tests to take. I'm editing articles for my newspaper class. I've got to take my sister to her practices and games. I've just got a lot going on.
> 
> But here's Saturday's chapter.

"I'm so sorry," he said, overlooking his friend. "I know that villains aren't supposed to say sorry, but I had to. I didn't mean for this all to happen. I don't know what came over me. Perhaps it was spending too much time around the wrong people. But that's besides the point. The point is that you should have become the hero instead of me. I'm the real villain.

The point is that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for making the wrong choice. I'm sorry for leading you here. I'm sorry for not visiting you in so long. I'm sorry for betraying you like I did. I'm sorry."

He could have sworn that he felt a hand on his back.

But he knew it was impossible.

The feeling left as quickly as it came.

He knew that no one could be here with him.

He had asked for no one to bother him while he visited his friend. This was one of those things that he did on his own and no one questioned it.

People usually didn't question what he did, but that was even more so the case when he left this morning with no disguise and a flower. Everyone looked, but no one asked.

He doesn't think that he would have been able to answer their questions anyway. Eustass had ended up bringing up the subject, and now he didn't have an excuse to not go anymore. He's been putting it off for more than twenty years.

They all said that it would get better. They all said that the pain would go away with time.

But it never went away. The pain never stopped. Not in twenty years.

He's been stuck with the guilt for two decades.

As a villain, he wasn't entirely sure how to deal with the guilt. It just wasn't something that he felt.

But suddenly, his most loyal ally was involved, then it became personal.

The single flower was placed in a small vase.

The flower was a white-ish, silver colour. It seems fitting.

He'd have to start coming here more often to change it.

He wasn't one that usually bought flowers, but they were usually involved with this kind of thing, so he figure that he should at least put forth a little effort for his best friend.

"You know I'm sorry, right?"

There was no answer from his friend. There was never an answer. He wasn't even sure if he could hear him.

They seemed so far away, but they were right next to each other.

"This was all new for me. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to cope with it after I heard the news. Do you understand? Is it okay that I'm a little late? Is it okay that I took some time?"

He let out a sigh, then he patted the only reminder of his friend.

"I hope you can forgive me."

He then left without another word to his friend. No one around him spared him even a glance either.

Everyone knows that you don't talk to a man right after he's visited his best friends grave.

_Everyone knows that you don't talk to the villain that just apologized to an old headstone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm sorry that I've been posting chapters a little later than usual. It's just that all my school stuff comes first, so I often find myself not having a lot of time to write.
> 
> Also, I'm sorry that this is shorter, I just only wanted to write one perspective for this chapter. I didn't want to ruin the mood by suddenly changing perspectives.
> 
> P.S. I probably won't be able to post tomorrow, so three chapters on Wednesday if I get them all completed.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Monday's chapter!!!
> 
> Enjoy!!!

"Brother, tell me, what really happened?"

He began to write on the blank piece of paper next to him.

'Long story.'

"I always have time to spare for my dear brother."

'During my mission.'

"I figured that, seeing as you came home from a mission with those injuries."

'Someone attacked me.'

"Did they recognize you?"

'Most likely.'

"And what happened to the attacker?"

'I dealt with it.'

"I'm glad you did, otherwise I would be forced to step in. I won't forgive anyone that harms my brother."

_What if you are the one doing the damage?_

He almost wrote it, but he decided against it.

"Will you be okay?"

'I'll be fine.'

"Is that what the doctor said, or is that what you decided?"

He didn't answer.

"Then I take it you decided for yourself?"

He nodded this time.

There was no point in lying to his brother, even though he's been doing it all along. His brother always found out when he was lying.

Except for the big one.

His brother hasn't seemed to figure this one out yet.

And he really hoped that his brother never found out.

"You know that you should be taking this whole thing a little more seriously."

'It's only a small wound.'

"Small wound?"

He nodded.

His brother picked up the clipboard that rested on the table near his temporary bed.

"Let's see... It says here that you suffered from three stab wounds, one bullet wound, plus minor cuts and scratches.

He held up on of the papers from earlier.

'I'll be fine.'

"My dear brother, you are not fine."

'Since when have you cared so much?'

"Brother, I've always cared."

'What about when we were young?'

His brother grew silent for a moment.

"I was different back then, but I've learned things since then."

There was another quick pause.

"And I'm not the only one that changed."

'We all change with time.'

"In more ways than one."

'Agreed, dear brother.'

There was a long pause this time.

"Well then, I'll be on my way."

'Right.'

"Are you sure that you are going to be alright."

He pulled out the same paper from earlier.

'I'll be fine.'

His brother looked at him with just a hint of disbelief in his eyes. It was barely noticeable, but he knew his brother well.

'Thank you for your concern.'

His brother got the hint. They were done with the conversation.

His brother stood up and walked to the door.

"_Anything_ for my dear brother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy heck, there's a lot of dialogue.
> 
> One perspective once again today.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tuesday's chapter!

Shanks pounded on the door frantically.

_Come on. Come on._

He glanced all around himself before he spoke.

"Mihawk, let me in!" Shanks yelled at the closed door. "I know you aren't really dead, so let me in!"

The door was suddenly opened. Shanks almost fell because of how quickly it was opened. He managed to catch himself though.

Perona was the one at the door.

"Ah, Perona, let me in. I need to talk to Mihawk," Shanks said quickly. "It's urgent."

"Shanks... Mihawk is dead..." Perona said softly.

"I should have known that he wouldn't tell you," Shanks grumbled quietly, as to not let Perona hear him.

"What was that?" Perona asked.

"Oh, never mind," Shanks said, waving his hand, then leaving the doorway.

_I'll just have to find him on my own._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zoro received a phone call from a number that he shouldn't be receiving phone calls from.

"Aren't you going to answer it?" Luffy asked.

Zoro then realized that he was just staring at the contact name instead of answering. He quickly pressed the answer button.

**"Zoro, I know this is sudden, and random, and very unlikely, but I am very much alive."**

Zoro knew Mihawk's voice... and that was it.

"What's going on?" Zoro asked in reply.

**"I just told you. I'm not dead."**

"And just what am I supposed to do with that information?"

**"I want you to rely my location to someone.** **"**

"And who is it?"

**"Akagami Shanks."**

"Wait- you want me to do _what?_"

**"Tell Akagami my location. Is that too hard for you?"**

"It's not that. It's just- you asked me to talk to _Akagami Shanks_."

Luffy seemed suddenly interested in Zoro's conversation.

**"That is what I asked, isn't it?"**

"Yes."

**"Well, will you do it or not?"**

"I'll- yes, I'll do it."

**"Perfect. I'll send you the address I need you to give to Akagami. Maybe I'll even think about training you once you complete the task."**

Zoro hung up the phone.

"Who was it? What did they talk about? I heard you mention Shanks." Luffy suddenly bombarded him with questions.

"No one," Zoro answered.

"Zoro," Luffy whined, "don't lie to me. You can't have a conversation on the phone with no one."

"Okay, it was someone, but I can't tell you who. It's a secret," Zoro said.

"Tell me who it is," Luffy demanded.

"I just told you," Zoro sighed, "it's a secret. I'm not going to tell you their name."

Luffy whined again. "Secrets are no fun. What's the point of them anyway?"

"Secrets are for people to hide things from people," Zoro said.

"Well," Luffy began, "I'm not going to let people keep any secrets from me. That includes you, Zoro."

"Alright, alright, captain," Zoro said. "But I'm still not telling you the name. It's not my secret to share, so I can't share it."

"Zoro, that's no fun," Luffy whined.

"Good," Zoro replied. "Secrets aren't meant to be fun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's chapter!

Everything was dark- no- everything was pitch black.

There was nothing to see. Nothing to do. Nothing to feel.

_Is this what death is like?_

_But I shouldn't be dead. We made a deal._

_I shouldn't be dead._

Someone was talking. It sounded like barely a whisper.

_Who is it? What are they saying?_

He tried calling out to the voice, but nothing came out, just like in a dream where you can't speak.

_But this isn't a dream._

He knew what he had signed up for, but he didn't know that it would be this bad.

"...Please..."

_That was Luffy. What is he trying to tell me?_

_Why can't I see anything? Why can't I heard anything._

_Why can't I feel anything?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh, Sabo, what are you doing here?"

Sabo turned to find Luffy and Zoro in the chairs in the corner of the hospital room.

"I just came by to see how he's doing," Sabo answered.

"He hasn't changed much from when he was first admitted," Zoro said.

Zoro looked to Luffy, then to Ace, then to Sabo.

"Could I talk to you for a moment?" Zoro asked. "Alone, if you wouldn't mind."

"I don't mind at all," Sabo replied.

Zoro walked out of the room and Sabo went with him.

Once they knew they were too far away for Luffy to hear, Zoro began to speak to Sabo, but it was still in a whisper.

"I talked to the doctors," Zoro began. "They aren't sure if Ace is going to make it."

It took Sabo to process it.

"...What?" Sabo asked. His voice was empty for a moment.

"He might not make it," Zoro repeated.

Sabo opened his mouth, but closed it again.

"You can't tell Luffy, no matter what," Zoro ordered. "I know how much Luffy loves Ace, and if Ace were gone... it would break Luffy. I don't want to see Luffy like that. I don't want to see his smile with no meaning behind it. I don't want to hurt Luffy."

"I know you don't," Sabo said.

"I don't usually ask others for help, so I'll only say it once," Zoro began. "Is there something we can do to ensure Ace's safe recovery?"

Sabo thought about it for a moment.

_If Ace was brought to a hospital, then he was most certainly looked at my professionals, but is there anyone that could do a better job than the professionals._

_Well, there is _him.

"I may know someone," Sabo said.

A visible wave of relief seemed to come over Zoro.

"I'll try and get him to come look at Ace," Sabo said.

Zoro nodded, then the two of them went back into the room.

Luffy had pulled out meat and had started to eat it.

"I was hungry, and you two were taking so long," Luffy said with his mouth full.

"It's fine Luffy," Sabo assured him.

Luffy smiled as he continued to enjoy his meat.

_So this is what Zoro meant. Luffy's smile is so bright and pure._

_It wouldn't be the same if it were broken._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I'm all caught up with the chapters now!
> 
> P.S. Sorry if these chapters were a little short.


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do y'all ever just listen to sad songs just for fun?

"Why are you here?" Shanks asked the green haired man in front of him.

"I was told to give you a message," Zoro answered.

"And what is that message?" Shanks asked.

"The location of Dracule Mihawk," Zoro answered.

"So he told you the truth, but he didn't tell Perona?" Shanks questioned.

"Do you want his location or not?" Zoro asked impatiently.

"Where is he?" Shanks asked.

Zoro pulled out a piece of paper from one of his pockets.

"Here it is," Zoro said.

Shanks read the paper to himself.

_ **You know where to find me.** _

"What kind of location is this?" Shanks complained.

"That's what he told me to tell you," Zoro shrugged.

"Oh, whatever, I'll figure it out," Shanks mumbled.

Zoro left without another word. He never was one for talking anyway.

Shanks sighed and looked at the paper again.

"Where the hell am I supposed to find you? It's urgent."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This was the second time that Luffy had gone to the hospital today, and this time, it wasn't for Ace.

"Ah, Luffy, you made it," Brooke said. He was pacing. He was clearly worried about his friend, even though he wasn't an official member of Luffy's team yet. "I was waiting until you got here to go and see him."

Luffy looked up to the tall skeleton. Brooke had a strange power. He was given a second life, but now he only lived as a skeleton.

"Thanks for waiting," Luffy nodded. "Is anyone else here?"

"Not yet, it's just me and you so far," Brooke answered.

"Should we wait for everyone else?" Luffy asked.

"Your call," Brooke said.

Luffy pondered it for a moment. He'd usually wait for the rest of his team to show up. This was a team matter after all. But this was also urgent. One of his most trusted friends was laying, probably unconscious in a hospital bed.

"They can meet us in there," Luffy finally answered.

"Alright," Brooke nodded, opening the door for Luffy.

Luffy felt a sudden wave of worry wash over him as he looked at his friend covered, nearly head to toe, in bandages.

"Is he going to be okay?" Luffy asked.

"I'm not sure," Brooke said, taking a seat in one of the chairs and resting his cane on the side of the hospital bed.

His eyes were closed. It seemed almost as if he was just sleeping. But this time, he was hooked up to a machine. And this time...

His heartbeat was slow.

Slower than Luffy had ever heard it.

First Ace, now _this_.

"But I'm sure he'll pull through," Brooke reassured him.

"He always does," Luffy agreed.

The door was opened, but it didn't interrupt much of a conversation.

It was Sanji.

He took one, long look at his friend in the bed, then started to walk straight back out.

Luffy saw Sanji pull out a cigarette before he left.

_That is never a good sign._

"He will be okay... right?" Luffy asked.

Brooke kept his gaze on the man on the bed. "Of course he will. He's Zoro, after all."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have y'all ever listened to one of your favorite songs so much that it stops being one of your favorite song?


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for another late post y'all. I got home really late last night and didn't have any time to write. Sorry about that. But anyway, here's Friday's chapter. Enjoy!

Sabo had managed to get Marco to come to the hospital with him. Even if Marco didn't know Sabo, Sabo knew Marco. Sabo knew what Marco was capable of. Sabo knew that Marco would be able to heal Ace right up.

"I still don't see why you need me, yoi," Marco said.

"You know exactly why I need you," Sabo replied.

"Why don't we just let the doctors handle it, yoi," Marco suggested.

"The doctors don't know if they can handle it," Sabo said.

"... What, yoi?" Marco asked as he suddenly stopped walking.

"I talked with Zoro earlier," Sabo began. "The doctors had talked to him. They said that they aren't sure if they can do anything else for Ace. They aren't sure if Ace is going to make it."

"That's why you needed me, yoi," Marco mumbled. "I had just thought that you wanted me to heal Ace because Luffy didn't want to pay a big hospital bill, yoi."

"Well, I hadn't thought of that, but-"

"Out of the way!" a voiced shouted from down the hall.

Sabo and Marco immediately went to the wall to get out of the way.

Sabo looked down the hall and say two nurses pushing a gurney. A doctor walked quickly next to them. Behind them was a tall skeleton.

Sabo watched them rush past him. He took note of the patient on the gurney. They had an oxygen mask on. They were covered in a lot of blood.

But what drew in Sabo's attention the most was the green hair, which was mostly covered in blood.

Sabo's gaze began to wonder off of the patient and towards the skeleton-

_Wait. Green hair? There's only one person I know with green hair._

Sabo looked towards Marco, who had just turned to look at him.

"Zoro," Sabo whispered.

Marco nodded.

"But- but I saw him just this morning. He was just fine. What happened?" Sabo questioned.

"I don't know, yoi," Marco said. "But whatever happened must have really not been good, yoi. Zoro is usually one to walk off injuries, even if they are serious. But this- this is _beyond_ serious_. _I've never seen him in a hospital, much less unconscious in one, yoi."

"Well, we won't be able to talk to him or the doctors for some time, so we might as well head to Ace while the doctors are doing their job," Sabo said.

"Right, yoi," Marco nodded.

Sabo led them to Ace's room. It was much quieter without the yelling and the wheels of the gurney.

Sabo opened the door and Marco closed it behind them.

Sabo noticed the ways that Marco's face saddened when he saw the bandages that covered Ace from nearly head to toe.

_Marco chose the wrong job if he cares about Ace this much._

"He's an idiot, yoi," Marco sighed, sitting down in one of the chairs that was placed near the bed. He scooted the chair forward a bit. Marco examined Ace a bit, then he lit his hands on fire with his unique blue and yellow flame.

Marco closed his eyes as he placed his hands just over Ace's chest. The fire grew and began to spread to all of Ace's bandages. Marco was clearly concentrating hard, judging by how how tight his eyes were squeezed shut.

It ways maybe a minute or two later when the flames suddenly died down and Marco opened his eyes.

"I managed to heal his injuries, but he'll still need some time to recover, yoi," Marco explained.

"Should he tell the doctors, or should we just have them believe this was some miraculous recovery?" Sabo asked as he stared at Ace's lifeless face. Somehow, Ace already looked better. Sabo wouldn't be surprised if Ace was suddenly running around tomorrow.

"Tell the doctors, but I suggest stretching the truth a bit, yoi," Marco suggested. "It would be best if we just tell them that Ace's private doctor came by and figured out how to save him, yoi."

"That would work," Sabo said. "I'm assuming that you don't want your name mentioned because if the hospital knew that you could easily heal people, then they would bother you non stop."

"That is correct, yoi," Marco nodded.

"Then let's get going," Sabo said, opening the door of the hospital room.

Marco took one last look at Ace, then he followed Sabo out the door, then closed it softly behind him.

"To Zoro?"

"To Zoro, yoi."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Luffy, trust me, I am also upset and angry, but we need to all calm down and decide a plan before we just rush in and cause chaos," Brooke said. "We don't even knew who attacked Zoro, or if anyone attacked Zoro at all."

"Someone attacked him," Luffy said confidently. He no longer wore his smile as he stared at Zoro.

"How can we be absolutely sure, though?" Brooke asked.

"Because Ace was also attacked," Robin said, joining in on their conversation. She had showed up not too long after Sanji, but they were still waiting for some of their other team members.

"What does Ace have to do with all of this?" Luffy asked.

"I'm not entirely sure right now, but all I need is for one more person to be hospitalized, then I can determine if my theory is correct," Robin said.

"Who?" Luffy asked.

"I'm not sure, but if it indeed happens, then I'll explain everything to you," Robin said.

"Why can't you just explain it now?" Luffy whined.

"Because I'm not 100% sure yet," Robin explained. "Only two people we know have been hospitalized so far, so I don't have enough information yet."

"Why does the number of people matter in all this?" Brooke asked.

"I said I'll explain it all later. I'm not sure about it yet," Robin said.

The door was opened.

The three of them looked to see who was at the door.

It was Marco and Sabo.

"Oh, Luffy, I didn't know you were here, yoi," Marco said.

"I came as soon as Brooke told me what happened," Luffy said.

"Well, I hope you don't mind if we come in," Sabo said. "We saw them bring Zoro in here and we were wondering what happened."

"We aren't exactly sure," Robin said.

"But Brooke found Zoro in an alleyway. He was all bruised and bloody," Luffy said.

"I had to carry him all the way to the hospital," Brooke said.

"Well, do you know if he's going to be okay, yoi?" Marco asked.

There is was again. Marco was going into 'mother hen' mode again.

"He's Zoro, he always pulls through," Luffy said.

"But is he going to be okay _this time_, yoi?" Marco reasked sternly.

Luffy suddenly found his hands shaking.

_Was Zoro going to be okay? He always toughs his other injuries out, but this isn't like those other times. This time it's bad. It's really bad._

Luffy tried to hide his shaking hands from Marco. He didn't need Marco worrying about him too.

Luffy took a deep breath before the answer finally left his mouth.

"I-I don't know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To sleep, or not to sleep? That is the question.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
> 
> -Chicken_NuggetsYum, the human train wreck

Sabo's phone began to ring in the middle of his conversation with Luffy and his team members.

Sabo was going to ignore it, but when he realized that Roger was the one calling him, he had no choice put to pick up.

"Sorry, it's important," Sabo said as he answered the call. "I hope you don't mind."

"It's fine," Luffy said.

**"Sabo, something happened."**

"What's wrong?"

**"We just got word, Shanks was attacked by an unnamed assailant not too long ago. He's currently in our infirmary."**

"How? Who in this god forsaken earth is able to put Ak-"

Sabo cut himself off when he remembered that everyone else in the room was listening to his conversation.

**"Sabo? Is something wrong?** **"**

"No, no. Everything's fine. I was just wondering who would be able to do such a thing?"

**"We're not entirely sure. I wasn't even aware that there was anyone stronger than Shanks out there, other than Mihawk."**

"Neither was I."

**"Anyway, I'm calling to say that you need to be careful. I have a feeling that they might be going for you next."**

"And why is that?"

**"Because you and Shanks know something that most people don't."**

"What?"

**"You really think that I wouldn't know that Shanks wasn't going to actually kill Mihawk, did you?"**

"Well, I guess that you do find out everything sooner or later."

**"It's fine with me, you know, that you didn't kill Mihawk. Just don't go out alone tonight."**

Roger hung up the phone without letting Sabo to reply.

Sabo left his phone by his ear for just a second longer, then he turned it off and put it into his pocket.

"Sorry about that," Sabo apologized. "My boss called."

"What was it about?" Luffy asked.

_Curse you and your curious nature._

"I found out that someone I work with got hospitalized tonight," Sabo said.

Luffy looked straight to one of his team members after Sabo answered.

"It would seem that my theory may be true after all," the girl said.

"Theory, yoi?" Marco asked.

"Three people- Ace, Zoro, and Sabo's friend- have all been hospitalized within days of each other. Zoro and Sabo's friend were hospitalized on the same day in nearly the same hour," the girl began.

"But that doesn't make a lot of sense. It could just be some massive coincidence," the skeleton said.

"Except it's not," the girl said.

"What do you mean?" the skeleton asked.

"One person is an incident. Two people is a coincidence. Three people is a pattern," the girl said.

"And what is this pattern exactly?" Sabo asked.

"I'm not sure yet, but I think that all of the victims have had something in common with each other," the girl said.

_This girl is smart. She knows what she's talking about even though she doesn't have all the evidence._

"Do we know who's next in the patter, yoi?" Marco asked.

"No-"

"Yes," Sabo interrupted.

Everyone looked to Sabo.

"How do you know who's next?" Robin asked.

"Because I think I may be the next target."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chicken nuggets make delicious midnight snacks.
> 
> Trust me, I know.
> 
> P.S. sorry that this chapter is a little shorter. Plus, it's only one perspective, but there are like five people (six counting Zoro) in the room, so...
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aren't AP classes fun?

"What makes you think that you're next?" Robin asked.

"There is some... information that I know, along with my friend and Ace. I'm not sure if Zoro knew, but he might have," Sabo said.

"And what information would that me?" Robin asked.

"I am not allowed to say," Sabo said.

"How come, yoi?" Marco asked.

"How come you are so interested?" Sabo responded.

"We shouldn't keep secrets from each other, yoi," Marco answered.

"Well, sometimes, it is necessary to keep secrets," Sabo replied.

"But know is one of those times were it would be helpful if you told was what you know," Robin joined in. "We could find out why these people are being attacked. We could figure out everyone that comes next."

"No," Sabo insisted. "The more people that know, the more targets there will be. It would be best if this information stayed with those that already know it. No one else needs to know."

"He does have a point," Robin agreed. "If they are all being targeted for knowing this information, then it would be best if no one else knew the information."

_I guess it does make sense, but I still don't like people keeping secrets._

_Speaking of secrets, is this the same secret that Zoro wouldn't tell me after he got that phone call?_

"Zoro got a phone call the other day," Luffy began. "He then left the hospital. He didn't tell me who called him or why he had to leave."

"That might have something to do with this all," Robin said.

There was silence for a moment. Sabo was looking out the window. He had been staring out it for a long while now. Luffy wasn't sure what was so interesting about the darkness outside.

"What's so interesting about the window, yoi?" Marco asked.

"I think someone is watching us," Sabo said.

"Are you sure?" Brooke asked.

"No, but I just have this feeling like someone is staring back up at this window," Sabo said.

"It's probably just because we are in a hospital. People will probably look at the only lit up window. There are a lot of possibilities," Robin said.

Sabo remained looking out the window for a moment longer, then he ended up pulling the curtains closed.

"Alright, now that-"

The glass shattered.

Sabo turned quickly to see just what had broken through the window.

A large hand reached for Sabo, but Sabo... lit himself on fire... to keep the hand away.

Sabo grabbed the hand in return. He lit his own hand on fire, then squeezed the arm as hard as he could. The sound of bones breaking was very obvious.

"Don't you know not to mess with a man when he knows you are coming?" Sabo questioned the unknown man.

Then another hand reached up. It placed a set of seastone cuffs on Sabo's arm.

Sabo's fire quickly went out and the arm managed to pull Sabo out of the window.

Luffy went quickly up to the window. "Sabo!" He seemed to forget all about what he had just witnessed.

Luffy looked down. Sabo was on the ground. He didn't seem to be moving. There was a lot of blood too.

_We are on the third floor, after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got to face time my sister today. Let me just say, it was a party.


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, I'm still here.
> 
> Tuesday's chapter!

"What's going on?" Brooke asked. "Four people we know, including Sabo's friend, are in hospital. Three of those people were admitted tonight. What does this all mean?"

"That's what we need to find out," Robin said, "but it is more important to make sure that everyone is okay. Four people are in the hospital. Three of those people were put in today. It's not just a massive coincidence anymore, it's a pattern."

"Wait, you said three people was a pattern, but there are four," Brooke pointed out.

"Then what does four mean?" Luffy asked.

"Four," Robin began. "Four is evidence."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Who could it possibly be?" Roger whispered to himself while he rubbed his head. "I don't know of anyone that is able to take down Sabo, much less Shanks."

Roger had gotten a call not too long ago. Apparently the people Sabo were with were able to get into his phone and call his last called number, which just so happened to be Roger's number.

"All in the same night too," Roger mumbled.

There was a knock at his door.

"What is it this time?" Roger asked, anger and annoyance clearly in his voice.

"I've got some information for you," said the person behind the door as they began to open it.

"Just get on with it," Roger sighed, glancing just slightly at the person at the door.

It was Eustass.

"I thought you might like to know that I found the one that has hospitalized both Shanks and Sabo," Eustass said.

Roger picked up his head a bit and his face lightened. "Really?" he asked with intrigue.

Eustass placed one of his many laptops onto Roger's desk, turning the screen to face towards the Pirate King.

"I found two video feeds, one from a street camera and the other from the hospital security camera. These are the videos of Sabo and Shanks getting attacked," Eustass explained as he pulled up a video.

It wasn't the best qualitly, but it was still very obvious that a man had just walked into the same alley as Shanks. He was a bigger man. The poor quality made it hard to pick out specific details of the face, but he seemed to have a beard of black hear.

There was nothing on the video for a few moments, then the large man walked back out of the alley. He was clearly shoving some kind of weapon into his pocket. He was definately the one that took out Shanks.

"Then the next one," Eustass said as he pulled open a different video. This video had much better quality, seeing as it was an expensive hospital camera rather than a cheep street camera.

"The room Sabo is in is on the third floor. This man got up to that window and pulled Sabo out of it," Eustass explained as the video played.

Roger could clearly see that it was the same man, or a similar looking man, that was in the alley. He had the same body shape and seemed to be a similar height. He also had that same beard.

The man began to use his power to get up to the room Sabo was in. It was difficult to see what the power was, but if obviously granted him somee flying abilities. The man then quickly broke the window, then pulled Sabo out of the window before Sabo could really fight back.

Sabo fell helplessly to the ground, but the other man seemed to disappear in a cloud of smoke.

"Who is he?" Roger asked.

"I have my suspicions," Eustass said, "but I'm not entirely sure. It's hard to do a facial scan with such poor quality videos."

"Then what are your suspicions?" Roger asked.

Eustass closed his laptop. He paused just a bit before he gave the answer. "Marshall D. Teach."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (to the tune of the wii mii music): oof oof oof oof oof oof oof oof


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wednesday's chapter!

A new day meant new problems. New crimes to stop. New villains running around town.

New secrets to keep from the people you trust.

If Marco could have changed his job, he would have by now.

But he can't.

It's too late to go back on his word now. If he were to betray Whitebeard, it would be worse than betraying Ace and Luffy, although he would prefer not to betray either.

Working with Whitebeard was part of his job. It was his job to keep secrets from other people.

But Marco isn't a villain.

He's a hero.

He's a hero through and through.

Being a villain isn't what he does. He pretends to be a villain. He's a hero that is pretending to be on the side of the villains so that he can get the information he needs.

He swore that he would corrupt his own heart if he needed too.

He swore that he would do anything to get the information he needs.

But he can't betray Whitebeard. It's too soon for that. If he were to betray Ace and Luffy, everything would be easier. Ace and Luffy don't know about his mission, but Garp does. Garp could explain it all to them.

But betraying Whitebeard would be much, much harder. He's not sure what will happen to him if the villain finds out about his secret. He's as good as dead, that's for sure.

He's not actually a villain.

He's just acting like one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zoro woke up to an empty room. He wasn't quite sure what had happened. He must have hit his head pretty hard.

He was in a hospital. There was no doctor in his room, nor was there anyone he knew.

_But who do I know?_

As if summoned by his thoughts, someone walked through the door.

It was a boy with black hair and a scar under his eye.

"Zoro!" the boy exclaimed.

_Do I know him?_

The boy wrapped his long, stretchy arms around Zoro tightly.

Zoro flinched at the sudden contact.

The boy felt Zoro flinch and immidiently removed his arms.

"Are you okay Zoro? Did I hurt you? I didn't mean t-"

"Do I know you?" Zoro asked suddenly and sternly.

The boy looked at Zoro in confusion and shock.

"What do you mean?" the boy asked. "It's me Luffy. Of course you know me."

"I've never seen you in my life," Zoro said flatly.

"What are you talking about?" the boy- Luffy- asked. "We work on the same team. I'm the team cap-"

"I don't know who you are," Zoro interrupted.

"Zoro, this- this isn't funny. I don't like this joke," Luffy said.

"I'm not joking," Zoro said. "I don't know you."

"But- but-"

"I'm sorry, but I'm telling the truth."

"Zoro..." Luffy trailed off.

"I'm going to politely ask you to leave now," Zoro said. "I was always told not to talk to strangers."

"But I- I'm not a stranger," Luffy pleaded.

"Get out!" Zoro yelled.

Luffy clearly flinched at Zoro's words.

Zoro felt a tiny bit bad. Luffy looked like he was just a kid. He looked like he had been through a lot too.

"Please?" Zoro whispered it this time.

Luffy, slowly, untensed and began to walk towards the door.

"Sorry to bother you," Luffy mumbled.

He walked out of the door without another word.

_I really don't know who you are, but you seem important to me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (in russian accent): write, write, write till you die


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's chapter!

"Didn't remember you? What do you mean he didn't remember you?" Sanji asked.

"I went to go check on him this morning, but when I walked in, he said he didn't know who I was," Luffy explained.

"He must have gotten a concusion," Sanji replied.

"Yeah," Luffy said. He was clearly sad.

Well, his best friend- well, everyone called them lovers- didn't remember him. Who wouldn't be distraught?

"The doctors will fix it," Sanji reassured Luffy. "That's why he's at the hospital, so the doctors can fix it."

"But what if they don't fix it?" Luffy asked.

"They will. Don't worry," Sanji said.

"But what if they dont?" Luffy persisted.

"I don't know!" Sanji yelled.

He noticed the way Luffy flinched, then he lowered his voice.

"I don't know what happens if they don't fix it," Sanji said softer this time.

"Okay," Luffy nodded.

He just seemed so sad. So defeated.

_So broken._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_My dearest brother,_

_I am sorry for all of my actions. I am sorry for everything that I have done wrong. I am sorry for all the mistakes I have made. I am sorry that I have to be the one to correct your ways. I'm sorry for everything._

_I wish I could tell you everything. I wish I could tell you my secret. I wish I could speak to you with my normal voice. I wish I could just be your brother again._

_Brother, you have cared for me, even when I have made so many mistakes. You have cared for me through thick and thin. You have always been there for me._

_Yet here I am, writing a note that you will never read. Here I am writing my confession to you, but you will never read this. I'll make sure of this._

_I'm not sure why, but writing my confession suddenly makes me feel so much better, even though I'm not actually telling you. It makes me feel like I have confessed to my lies and to my secrets. I feel like I am free._

_But in reality, I am not free. I am not free from my secrets. I am not free from my lies._

_I shall continue my charade until the time is right._

_Again, I am sorry brother. I am apologizing in advance for what I will do. I just want things to be normal again. I just want my brother back._

_I am sorry._

_ Sincerely, your loving brother_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> abcdefghij...


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> time to write all the words

"Brother," he began, "are you keeping secrets from me?"

His brother showed up once again at his bed in the infirmary.

He shook his head slowly.

"It's just that, recently, I've heard some rumors going around that you haven't been telling the truth."

He looked for a blank piece of paper.

'I would never lie to you.'

"That's what I had thought, but people kept on insisting that you weren't who you seemed to be. But I would recognize my brother anywhere. He is exactly who he says he is. I trust my brother with my life."

'And I trust my life with you.'

"Brother, would you mind getting out of the infirmary as soon as you can, I have a mission for you."

'I'm only human. The doctor will let me leave when I'm ready.'

"Ah, yes."

His brother sighed and made his way towards the door.

"Take care brother."

He made no move to return the farewell. His brother's back was turned to him, so he wouldn't be able to see it anyway.

But he did open his mouth. He only spoke in the quietest of whispers. He didn't want his brother to hear.

_"I'm sorry brother."_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shanks was placed into the infirmary at the Villain Alliance building. No one wanted to risk taking him to a public hospital. They decided that Shanks could be treated by their doctors, and if he couldn't be treated, then they would call in Marco for an emergency healing.

In the meantime, Kidd was left waiting for Shanks to wake up.

Kidd had to talk to Shanks about something. It was something very important, and Kidd needed to know the answer to his question.

But in the meantime, Kidd was left waiting.

He was left to play around with some machines that he was working on. He did some work on his arm. It can always use improvement after all.

His missing arm reminded him to also ask Shanks about his missing arm. He wanted to hear the story of how he lost it. He must have been fighting someone powerful in order to have lost it. Not many people can take on Shanks and come out victorious.

But in the meantime, he was left waiting.

He was left to watch his street cameras and top security government cameras. He loves finding all of the drama that goes on in the government. He loves watching powerful leaders argue and fight with one another.

Sometimes, if he's feeling extra evil that day, he'll be the one that incites those arguments.

But he's still waiting for Shanks.

It's been a day, but Shanks hasn't woken up yet.

"We're going to be calling in Marco," the doctors explained.

"Go ahead," Kidd said. "I just want him to wake up."

"If I may ask," the doctor began, "I would like to know what exactly is so important that you have to ask Akagami."

"It's top secret," Kidd answered simply.

Of course, it's not really top secret, but that's the only way to get the doctor to stay out of his business.

"Right, of course," the doctor nodded. "Anyway, Marco is on his way, so don't be alarmed if he shows up soon."

Kidd only nodded in understanding.

The doctor then left Shanks' room.

As if on cue, there was a tap at the window.

Kidd looked at the blue and yellow bird outside the window. Kidd had seen Marco's phoenix form enough times to know exactly who it was.

Kidd walked to the window and opened it.

Marco transformed back into a human as he stepped into the room.

"I didn't think I would see you here, yoi," Marco said.

"I'm waiting for him to wake up. I have something to ask him."

"Oh, yoi?"

"It's confidential."

"Of course it is, yoi."

"Well, are you going to heal him or what?"

Marco responded by turning away from Kidd and looking towards Shanks' unconscious body.

He observed Shanks silently, then he lit his hands with his blue flames. He gently laid his hands on Shank's body.

He held his hands there for a few minutes, then he finally stopped when Shank's let out low groan.

Marco put out the flames, then walked back towards the window.

"My job here is done, so I'll be leaving now, yoi."

Kidd watched silently as Marco transformed himself into a phoenix and flew out of the window.

Kidd closed the window behind Marco. Then he turned to Shanks, who was now awake, thanks to Marco.

Shanks turned and looked at Kidd with a questioning gaze.

"I have a question for you," Kidd began.

Shanks sighed. "Ask away."

"Do you know Silver Rayleigh?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the words have been written


	46. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I convinced my younger siblings to finally watch One Piece. They just met Ace the other night. They both love him.
> 
> But little do they know...

"I didn't mean to take it that far," Wildfire said to the finally awake Ace.

Ace wasn't entirely comfortable with Wildfire sitting in his hospital room, but Ace just didn't really have the energy to fight him out.

"This wasn't actually you," Ace said.

Ace noticed the bandages that peaked out from underneath Wildfire's gloves and mask.

"What?" Wildfire asked. "But I did attack you. You asked me to attack you to make it look more realistic."

"I did tell you to do that, but you weren't the one that hospitalized me," Ace explained. "It happened while they were taking me to the hospital with the injuries you gave me. I was still conscious for it." Ace paused for a second before he continued. He felt like he really needed to think to find the answer of what really happened, even though it was just the other day.

"The ambulance was attacked by something- no, by _someone,_" Ace began. "I'm not sure who it was though."

"I have an idea," Wildfire said.

"Really? Who?" Ace questioned.

"The same person that pulled me out of a window," Wildfire answered.

For a moment, Ace forgot that this was a villain sitting in front of him.

"Are you okay? That must have hurt," Ace said.

"It doesn't bother me anymore. It happened a week ago," Wildfire said.

"Is that why your arms are covered in bandages?" Ace asked.

The villain looked at his arms. He noticed the tiny part of the bandages that was uncovered by his gloves and sleeve. "It is," Wildfire said.

"How did it happen anyway?" Ace asked.

"I was here at the hospital," Wildfire began. "I was going to check up on you, but it turned out that one of my friends was also admitted. I went to their room, then as I was listening to the doctors, a hand broke through the window and pulled me out before I even had much of a chance to defend myself."

Ace stared blankly at the wall as he repeated Wildfire's words over in his head. There were several things that Ace was now confused about.

"Oi, you okay Solar Flare?" Wildfire asked, waving a hand in front Ace's face.

Ace slowly turned to Wildfire and looked straight at the blank eyes of the mask.

"You said that this happened a week ago, right?" Ace asked.

Wildfire nodded.

"And it happened when you were coming to visit me in the hospital, right?" Ace questioned.

Wildfire nodded again.

"Tell me," Ace said, "how long have I been out?"

"You've been in a coma for over a week," Wildfire answered.

Ace remained looking at the mask.

Ace felt like all of his strength left his body in that single moment. He felt like he had no power. He felt like anything but a superhero.

_He felt human._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Two weeks earlier_

"Have the doctors made any improvement with Zoro's concussion?" Nami questioned.

Luffy shook his head.

"Have you asked Marco to look at him?" Robin asked.

Luffy shook his head again.

"Do you want me to get him?" Brooke asked.

Luffy nodded.

Brooke left quickly. Nami and Robin followed out of the room shortly after him.

Sanji waited for them outside the door. He was smoking, per usual.

"Any luck?" he asked.

"No," Nami sighed.

"We haven't gotten him to speak since yesterday," Robin added.

"He won't even eat any meat," Nami said.

"This could be really bad," Robin said.

"Obviously," Sanji said. "He isn't speaking, which is unusually for Luffy. Not to mention that he isn't eating any meat. If Luffy isn't eating meat, then something is very, very wrong."

"Is he really going through all of this just because of Zoro?" Nami asked.

"It probably also has something to do with Ace," Robin said.

"And probably because of Sabo too," Sanji added. "But it's more likely due to Zoro and Ace. I don't know that much about Sabo and I'm not sure how well Luffy knows him."

"What should we do about it then?" Nami asked. "I don't like seeing him acting like this."

"Neither do I," Robin agreed.

"Marco is one of our best bets right now. If he can fix Zoro's concussion, then things will be just fine," Sanji said. "But as of right now, all we can do is wait. All we can do is hope that our captain is just as strong as he says he is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, let's be honest for a second. I know we all want Luffy to become the Pirate King, but realistically, if anyone were to become the new Pirate King, it would be Shanks.
> 
> Also, have you guys ever noticed that Shanks and Buggy are some of the only pirates that aren't looking for the one piece? What if it's because they know what it is? What if it's not really valuable? But honestly, if the one piece was really valuable, wouldn't Buggy be looking for it because he is always looking for treasure? So my theory is that either the one piece isn't all that valuable, or Buggy and Shanks lost the one piece while they were part of Roger's crew, and now they just have no idea where it is.
> 
> The first theory seems more reasonable though.


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't stan Buggy and his beautiful hair, then I'm gonna fight you.

"I'm not sure if I will be able to help him, but I will try my best, yoi," Marco told Brooke as they neared Zoro's hospital room. "I've never tried to fix a concussion before, yoi."

"I'm sure you'll be able to," Brooke said. "You don't call your Flames of Restoration for nothing, right?"

"That's true, yoi," Marco nodded.

"Ah, here we are," Brooke said when they finally reached the door to Zoro's room.

Zoro seemed to be sleeping when they opened the door, but he slowly peaked his eyes open when the door closed.

"Who're you?" Zoro demanded.

"I'm here to fix your concussion, yoi," Marco said.

"You don't look like a doctor," Zoro pointed out.

"I'm not, yoi," Marco replied.

"Then what right do you have to help me?" Zoro asked. "Who are you?"

"I'm a hero," Marco answered, "and a friend, yoi."

"Do you have any medical experience?" Zoro asked.

Marco lit his hand with his flames of restoration. "It's part of my power, yoi."

Zoro seemed to lean back into the bed even further as Marco took a step closer.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Zoro asked.

Marco let out a sigh. "Zoro, do you really think that we would be able to get in here if we weren't close to you, yoi?"

"You could have snuck in here," Zoro said.

"Zoro, just let me try and fix your concussion, yoi," Marco said, taking another step towards Zoro. "If I fix it, then you'll understand."

Zoro looked at Marco's flaming hand. He seemed to be pondering his answer.

"Alright fine," Zoro finally said. "I hate the feeling of not knowing anything. But if you do some wierd probing in my brain, then I will find and kill you."

Marco smiled just a bit. "That's the Zoro I know, yoi."

Zoro let Marco walk up next to him. Marco slowly lowered his hand to Zoro's head. Zoro flinched as the hand was placed against his head.

It seemed like Zoro was expecting the fire to be hot.

But Marco knew his fire better than anyone else. Marco's fire could be hot if he wanted it to be. But the Flames of Restoration were merely, neutral. They weren't hot, but they weren't cold.

Marco closed his eyes to focus on healing Zoro's mind. He wasn't entirely sure how it would all pan out, but he really hoped he didn't make it worse. Even if he didn't fix it, it would be even worse if he caused Zoro major or permanent brain damage.

The thing most people didn't know about his Flames of Restoration was that they didn't naturally heal things, he had to actually decide what to heal and how to heal it.

Bullet wounds, burn wounds, and stab wounds were all easy for him to heal. All he had to do was restore the tissue, muscles, and skin. But he had never dealt with brain damage before. They should have definitely brought Law with them.

Marco found the damaged brain cells. He began the restoration process slowly. He really didn't want to mess it all up.

_I have to do this for Luffy._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_A week later_

"I- I can't have been in a coma for a week," Ace said, refusing to believe what Wildfire had just told him.

"It's true," Wildfire said. "And you weren't the only one that's been in the hospital."

"Wait, who else?" Ace asked.

"Shanks and Roronoa Zoro," Wildfire said.

"Why are they in the hospital? Who is even able of putting Shanks in the hospital?" Ace asked.

"That it was we are all wondering," Wildfire said. "I know someone that might be able to give us the information we need though."

"Wait, you also said Zoro. Is he okay?" Ace asked.

"Well, not exactly," Wildfire answered.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ace asked.

"He got a concussion," Wildfire said. "He's not able to remember anyone. He can only remember his name. He can't even remember how to use a sword."

"Have you talked to Marco?" Ace asked. "He's a hero. He should be able to fix it."

"Marco the Phoenix? Your brother contacted him," Wildfire said. "He wasn't able to anything. In fact, Marco may have made it worse."

"What? How could he make it worse?" Ace asked in shock. "His Flames of Restoration are just that. They are meant to restore, not destroy."

"It would seem that his power isn't all that it's cut out to be then," Wildfire said.

"But- but _that's not right._" Ace said in denial. "That's not how his power works. It- it's supposed to heal. It's supposed to help."

Wildfire stood from the chair he was sitting in and walked towards the door. "Sorry Ace, but life isn't always perfect. I learned that at a young age. I learned that when my house caught on fire and when I found out that heroes weren't what they seemed to be."

"But-"

"That's just how things work out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I just realized something really sad. When Ace died, he either didn't know that Sabo was alive, or he somehow knew Sabo was alive, but he found out that Sabo didn't remember him. I'm not sure which one is sadder.


	48. Chapter 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for the feels.

Luffy sat in his room without anyone else that night.

Several people that he loved were in the hospital.

Ace was in a coma. Zoro didn't remember who he was. Sabo was undergoing surgery to fix his broken bones.

He also got a call.

Shanks was also in the hospital.

_Why is everyone I care about getting hurt?_

Luffy didn't smile while he sat in his room alone.

Alone was the time were he could finally let his smile fall. He didn't have to worry about brightening up other people's day with his smile when he was alone.

It didn't work with a fake smile anyway.

There was a knock at his door.

He didn't reply, of course.

"Luffy, it's your grandfather, open the door," Garp demanded.

Luffy still didn't reply.

Garp got the idea. He left without another word.

Luffy covered himself in his bedsheets.

He just wanted to be alone right now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh god, I made it worse, yoi," Marco spoke to Law, who currently sat opposite of him.

"How so?" Law asked.

"When I tried to help fix Zoro's concussion a week ago, I think I might have accidentally made the damage permanent, yoi," Marco explained.

"How do know for sure?" Law asked.

"Because I got a call from the doctors asking me to come in, yoi," Marco said.

"That doesn't say anything," Law replied.

"They said they needed me because his brain damage had gotten worse, yoi," Marco added.

"Well, that does change the situation a bit," Law said.

Marco placed his head in his hands and shook his head.

"Why are you so distraught about it?" Law asked. "I thought you didn't care too much about Zoro-ya."

"I wasn't healling Zoro for myself," Marco began, "I was healing him for Luffy, yoi."

Law looked at Marco for a second.

"You should have contacted me," Law said.

"I know, but I was just focussed on trying to get Luffy to smile again, yoi," Marco said.

"So you went all mother hen again and didn't think about the consequences of trying too hard?" Law questioned.

"That's exactly what happened, yoi," Marco said.

Law stood up from his seat.

"Bring me to Zoro-ya. I'll take a look at him."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_My dear brother, I am still keeping this secret from you. I don't know when you will discover it. I'll find out what my task is soon though._

_I hope that you will be able to forgive me. I really don't want to betray your trust like this._

_I know that you would die for me, but the feeling isn't entirely mutual._

_I'm sorry about-_

"Ah, I thought you would be in here brother."

He took a blank piece of paper out.

'You caught me.'

"Why aren't you in the infirmary?"

'I don't like it in there.'

"I know, but that's not an excuse to sneak out."

'I know.'

"Brother, you do know that I care about your well being, right?"

'I know brother.'

"Then won't you come back to be looked at by the doctors? I swear that this is the last time you have to be in that room for a while. The just need to make sure that everything is healed up okay."

'Alright.'

_Brother, I hope you know that I care for you too. I hope you know that I am sorry. _ _I hope you know that this is what has to happen._

_No matter what the cost is._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "oOoF"  
-Chicken_NuggetsYum, 2019


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all ready for this?

Bloody footprints followed him through the loosely packed snow.

No sound was made as he walked.

He could feel some more of the warm blood drip down from his lips. He didn't bother to wipe it away. He instead let it add to the already vibrant footprints.

The blood left a small trail of steam.

He watched the steam slowly disappear, then he continued his slow walk through the frostbitten land.

He was so close. He only had to manage to evade his brother for a little longer, then he would finally be free of the secrets he has kept and the lies he has told.

This whole situation reminded him about what happened with Law many years ago.

Except his brother didn't find him out then.

Everything was covered in snow, just like it was years ago.

Law had escaped peacefully, and so did he.

His brother had no idea until today.

His feet suddenly caught on eachother, causing him to fall back silently into the snow.

He stared at the gray sky as the snow fell.

It took him a while to sit up. He didn't bother standing.

It hurts too much to stand.

He searched his pockets for a cigarette and his lighter.

The only cigarette he found was covered in blood. Same with the lighter.

He wiped the cigarette off the best he could, then he placed it between his bloody lips.

It took him a few times to finally get the lighter to ignite. He raised it to the cigarette. It provided him with some warmth as it burned the tip of the cigarette.

He closed the lighter as the faint taste of iron and warm smoke filled his lungs.

He removed the cigarette and let out a long puff of smoke.

He heard a gun behind him. He only turned his head slightly to see who it was. He had a suspicion of who it was.

"Brother..." the man behind him spoke.

He took one last smoke from the cigarette, then he buried it in the snow.

He slowly began to stand, despite the pain that it gave him.

He turned to his dear brother.

Neither of them were smiling.

The gun his brother was holding wasn't aimed anywhere vital. It seemed to be acting more as a threat, and as a warning.

"You know that I don't want to do this," his brother spoke. His grip on the gun seemed to loosen a bit. "But I know what you did all those years ago, and I know all the things that you have been keeping from me." His grip on the gun tightened again.

It was like he was fighting with himself and debating whether or not he should really kill his brother.

He let out a silent snap, then he seemed to make noise again.

"I'm... surprised... that it took you... this long..." he spoke slowly, each word was lined with his pain.

"I began to have my suspicions," his brother said. "I guess everything makes sense now."

"I guess... it does..." he said.

"You know why I'm doing this," his brother said. His grip on the gun tightened even more and he raised it just a bit more.

He pulled out a gun of his own. It was covered in blood, just like the cigarette and lighter.

He straightened his posture as he pointed the gun towards his brother.

"I've never wanted to hurt you Roci, so why did you hurt me?" his brother asked.

"Sorry... Doffy..." he said as his finger moved to the trigger. "It's part... of my job..."

"And this, dear brother, is part of mine."

Several gunshots broke the silence of the frozen tundra.

His brother shot them all.

They pierced through his body just like every other bullet.

Once they finally stopped, he took a step forward, hunching over slightly, as the gun fell from his bloody hand.

He stood there in silence for a moment. The fresh blood steamed off his back.

His brother let one more shot ring out.

He felt the sharp pain, then he felt himself falling backwards.

He fell with a soft thump this time.

The snow instantly embraced him in it's cold grasp.

He could feel his own lack of blood. He could feel the lack of oxygen that was reaching his lungs. He could feel beat of his heart slow quickly.

Everything around him became an eerie red colour as his vision began to fade. Noise also began to sound dimer.

The last thing he saw was his brother crouching over him. His brother had taken off his pink coat.

He felt the warmth of the coat over him.

"Do...ffy..."

He was barely able to speak the nickname of his brother.

His vision had gone entirely black now. He could feel his heart nearing a stop. The silence of everything around him grew.

"I'm sorry Rosinante."

The voice of his brother broke through the silence like a bullet through glass.

The breath he had left caught for a moment.

_I'm sorry too. I'm sorry brother. I'm-_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so cool science fact real quick. So the thing with the blood steaming. That would actually happen because there is such a difference in temperature between blood and the air around. It's just like seeing your breath in the cold, but it's with blood. I just think that it provides a really cool visual because it's someone steaming because they are covered in so much blood. The steam would only last a short while because the blood would cool down, but I still think it would be really cool.
> 
> Also, this chapter takes place much after the incident with Ace, Zoro, Sabo, and Shanks. The story will continue from here. So this is basically me time skipping until the plot actually gets interesting again.


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thursday's chapter!

"Ace, I'm going to see Zoro," Luffy informed his older brother.

"Alright," Ace nodded in acknowledgement. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, I'll be fine by myself," Luffy assured his brother.

Ace looked at him for a moment. It seemed as if he was skeptical of what Luffy had just said.

"Okay, don't be gone too long," Ace replied.

"Don't worry, I just want to check up on him. It won't take that long," Luffy said.

Ace watched Luffy leave their home. He looked like he had a smile on his face, but Ace knew when Luffy's smiles were real and when they weren't.

_Zoro's been without his memory for so long. Neither Law, nor Marco, have been able to do anything to help Zoro. He still doesn't remember anything of what happened before the incident._

Zoro was sent to an apartment building where he could be checked on by the doctors. It helps them monitor Zoro without having to keep him in the hospital longer than necessary.

The hospital said that concussions are usually only a week or two week process to fix, but they said that Zoro might have lost his memory for good.

This is the first time in a month that Luffy has gone to visit Zoro. It makes Ace worry, just a bit. It makes it seem like Luffy is slowly giving up on helping Zoro remember.

_But I know Luffy better than that._

Luffy isn't a person to give up on something that he really wants.

Especially when it concerns Zoro.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sabo there's another mission for you," Roger told the boy.

"What is it?" Sabo questioned.

"It's the same mission that you had a while back," Roger added, handing Sabo a piece of paper.

Sabo looked over the paper quickly.

"Akainu has requested that you try to kill Monkey D. Luffy again," Roger explained as Sabo read the paper.

Sabo stopped reading and looked up at Roger.

_Kill Luffy?_

In the months that Ace has been hurt, Sabo spent a lot more time with both Ace and Luffy. He spent time at their house, although he was very careful not to run into Garp or Law. Sabo had gotten to know Luffy a lot more.

"So?" Roger asked.

Sabo continued to stare at Roger as if he were trying to communicate his thoughts to Roger.

_I can't kill Luffy._

"I've heard rumors that you've been going soft on us," Roger said. "I sure hope that you aren't thinking about leaving the Alliance to become a hero."

"No. I wouldn't dream of leaving the Alliance. I would never leave to become a selfish, corrupted, hero. I'm here to stay," Sabo explained.

"Perfect," Roger smiled. "So what about the mission."

"I..." Sabo looked at the paper for a moment. "I can't complete this mission."

Roger's eyes widened as Sabo handed the paper back to him. Roger was clearly shocked at Sabo's decision.

"So... you really have gone soft on us..."

"Just because I refuse one mission doesn't mean that I'm going soft," Sabo said, turning toward the door. "And even if I was going soft, that doesn't mean that I'm leaving the Alliance."

"I hope that your personal feelings aren't the deciding factor for this mission," Roger said. Although it wasn't clearly stated, Roger's words seemed to be lined with a threat.

Sabo placed his hand on the door knob. He wasn't going to reply to Roger. Silence was a better answer than the truth.

But silence usually gave the answer away.

"The mission will be given to someone else then," Roger explained.

"That's fine."

_It's fine, just as long as it's not me._

Sabo began to open the door.

"You will do nothing to interfere with this mission," Roger stated.

Sabo bit his lip.

Who knew that on word could be so hard to say.

"Understood."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting Thursday and Friday. On Thursday I got home from work late and just wanted to go to sleep. On Friday, it was my school homecoming, so I didn't get enough time to write. Anyway, thanks for being patient with me! I hope that you all have been enjoying my story.


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friday's chapter! Enjoy

"How many times do I have to tell you that I have no idea who you are?" Zoro asked the black haired teen in front of him.

"And how many times to I have to tell you that I am Monkey D. Luffy?" he replied.

Zoro sighed. This guy always came to his house insisting to talk to Zoro, but Zoro still has no idea who he was. Actually, Zoro still had no idea about a lot of things. He wasn't sure why he always carried three swords around. He doesn't even know how to use the swords.

But it just felt right to carry them around.

"Don't sigh at me Zoro!" Luffy yelled.

"Luffy, you've been here almost every month. I haven't gotten my memory back. The only thing I know about you is your name. I don't even remember things about myself," Zoro replied.

"That's way-"

Luffy was cut off to the sound of glass breaking.

Zoro had instinctively reached for swords resting on waist, but he paused the moment he remembered he didn't know how to use a sword.

He didn't even know the names of the swords.

Through the window, there came a man. He wore a mask, making it difficult to see his face. He seemed to have bright blue hair that was tied up into a long ponytail though. He was holding a gun towards Luffy.

Zoro pulled out one of his swords.

_What was its name again?_

Zoro ran in front of Luffy with his sword pointed toward the mysterious man.

"Don't touch him." Zoro said sternly.

"Zoro? I thought you didn't know me," Luffy said.

"I don't know you. I don't know what I'm doing," Zoro replied.

"Then why are you protecting me?" Luffy asked.

"My body moved on it's own," Zoro explained.

"Well," the blue haired man interrupted, "I hate to ruin this touching moment, but I've got a job to do."

Zoro took a step toward the man. He slashed him quickly, then watched him fall to the ground.

Zoro sheathed _Wado Ichimonji._

_Wait, when did I learn the sword's name?_

"Oi, Zoro, you are just looking at your sword. Are you okay?" Luffy asked.

Zoro looked to Luffy.

_The man who saved my life._

"My memories," Zoro began.

"Huh? What about your memories?"

"They're back."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I heard that you refused a mission," Koala commented as she watched Sabo head toward the door.

"So what if I did?" Sabo replied.

"You're going soft on us."

"Refusing one mission isn't me going soft."

"Yeah, this was just one, but soon you are going to refuse another, then another, then another."

"This was a one time thing."

"What was the mission anyway?"

"Assassination."

"Wait. You turned down an assassination mission?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Let me get this straight. You, the infamous Wildfire, turned down an assassination mission."

"Yes."

"I thought you loved assassination missions."

"Not this one."

"Who was the victim?"

"Monkey D. Luffy."

"Didn't you get a mission to kill him before?"

"That's why I refused. I don't like to do the same mission twice."

That wasn't the real reason why Sabo refused, but he's been used to lying his entire life, so he could make it seem believable.

"I see."

Sabo made his way to the door once again. Maybe Koala will finally let him leave.

"Wait, before you go, I want to know who got the mission instead," Koala said.

Sabo looked back at her. "I don't know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, my brother and sister were talking about One Piece this morning and some of their theories. Anyway, my sister said, "What if Ace and Luffy are Roger's sons? Cause I felt like Luffy was Roger's child, but Ace is his brother, so they must both be his sons." While she said that, I was literally sitting on my couch making the ._. face in my mind. I replied with, "I'm not going to tell you guys anything." They still think that it's a possibility though.
> 
> Also, I'll probably post today's chapter on Monday because I don't have time to finish it today.


	52. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saturday's chapter!

The blue haired man rose from the ground. Zoro and Luffy stared at him in shock.

"Sorry, but you won't be able to hurt me with your swords," the blue haired man said.

Luffy threw a rubber fist at the man, causing him to fall to the ground.

"But I can hurt you with my fist," Luffy said.

"We should probably get out of here," Zoro suggested.

Luffy nodded in agreement, then ran toward the door. Zoro followed closely after him.

They ran swiftly through the slightly busy, and snowy, streets. They had to avoid a few people, but they made it back to Garp's house quickly.

They burst through the door, drawing the gaze of Marco, who was currently sitting on the couch.

"Luffy, Zoro, what's wrong, yoi?" Marco asked the clearly worn out pair.

"Vil...lain..." Luffy panted.

Tried... to kill... Luffy..." Zoro added.

Marco stood up quickly and walked toward Luffy and Zoro. He ushered the two of them into the house quickly. He also offered them some water to quench their thirst.

"Tell me, do you know who it was, yoi?"

"Some guy with long, blue, hair," Zoro answered.

"He tried to shoot me, but Zoro got in the way. Zoro also got his memories back," Luffy added to the explanation.

"I'm not sure if I've seen anyone with long, blue, hair, yoi," Marco mumbled.

"That's fine," Zoro said.

"Just as long as he doesn't come back for us," Luffy finished.

"I'll make sure that he can't hurt you, yoi," Marco assured them as he locked the door and closed the curtains. "Let's get you two somewhere safe, yoi."

"Marcooooo, you're going all mother hen again," Luffy whined as Marco began to take Luffy and Zoro to the basement.

"I'll call Ace down, yoi."

"You really don't have-"

"I want you two to tell him exactly what happened, yoi," Marco cut Zoro off.

"Marco, is this really necessary?" Luffy asked.

"Yes, yoi."

"I think you're overreacting a little bit," Zoro commented.

"So what if I am, yoi," Marco said. It seemed a little on the edge of a yell.

Luffy and Zoro looked at Marco with confused looks.

"I can't help but worry about those that I consider to be my family, yoi."

Marco spoke a little softer this time.

Luffy let out a laugh. "Shishishi. Of course you care about us. You are the mother hen after all."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm glad to see you are okay," Garp said to his oldest, adopted, grandson.

"Yeah. I'm all good now," Ace replied.

"Do you want me to take care of Wildfire for you? He did do this to you, right?"

"Actually, this wasn't Wildfire."

Garp looked at Ace in shock.

"What do you mean it wasn't Wildfire?"

"Well, I can't tell you all the details," Ace began, "but Wildfire only gave me minor injuries. The real injuries were given to me by someone completely different."

Garp continued to look at Ace in shock and confusion.

"If it wasn't Wildfire, then who was it?"

"I- I'm not entirely sure. Everything is- everything is kinda like a blur. I remember walking away from the fight with Wildfire. Then- then after that, I'm not entirely sure what happened. Someone knocked me out. Then I woke up. I woke up in the hospital a week later."

"How can you be sure that it wasn't Wildfire then?"

"It wasn't him." Ace's voice had changed to a much more serious one.

"But how do you-"

"It wasn't him," Ace repeated. "This man was much taller. He had darker hair and didn't wear a mask. He was much larger and much stronger. It wasn't Wildfire."

Garp sat in silence for a moment.

"Why are you so adamant on defending the villain Wildfire?" Garp asked.

"I'm not- I'm not entirely sure."

Garp looked at Ace and raised an eyebrow.

"But I do know that even if he is a villain, he shouldn't be punished for something that he didn't do."

Garp smiled at Ace.

"You know, I don't think I've met a hero better than you. You really are the pinnacle of heroism."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, I just hate doing homework. Don't y'all agree?


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

"Are you sure it was him?" Whitebeard asked the villain known as Shanks.

"I think that I'd know who attacked me," Shanks replied. "It was a little foggy before, but now I am absolutely sure that it was him."

"I've known him for years. I never would have thought that he would go so far as to hurt someone that he _knew_ was part of the Alliance."

"People do crazy things for power and fame."

Whitebeard nodded at Shank's words.

"That is very true. People will do things that you would not think possible for something that they desperately want."

"They'd even go as far as hurting an ally."

"But he must have had a reason," Whitebeard suddenly added. "People don't do anything without a proper reason."

"I wouldn't know if I would use the word 'proper,' but he definitely had a reason."

"And do you know what that reason is?"

"Of course I do," Shanks smiled.

Whitebeard waited for the reason, but began to grow impatient when no reason came.

"Well? What is it?" Whitebeard quesionted.

"If I told you, then you would be hunted too."

Whitebeard let out a loud laugh.

"Gurarara! What makes you so sure that they would even be able to touch me?"

"Your health is declining as you grow older."

Whitebeard's smile formed into a scowl.

"I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself."

Shanks noticed how Whitebeard had reached for his naginata.

"Well, I should probably get going now," Shanks said, not wanting to cause any further conflict with Whitebeard.

Whitebeard called him his ally, but that doesn't mean that they always got along.

"You'd better run Akagami."

"Who said anything about running? I just have other, more important, business to attend to."

"What could be more important than this?"

"I've got a date with the dead."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mihawk wasn't surprised to find that Shanks trying to break into his new house. He sighed as he watched the one armed man try to climb up to his open window.

"A little help would be really appreciated," Shanks grunted as he managed to pull himself up a bit more.

"I decline. I like watching you struggle down there."

"You're so mean," Shanks pouted.

"And you're just a three year old."

"That's mean!"

"Says the man who is currently trying to break into my house."

"Hey, it's not breaking in if you know I'm coming inside."

"You know that you could come in through the door, right?"

"You have a door?"

"Of course I do. What kind of heathen do you think I am?"

"Why didn't you tell me that you had a door?"

"I thought that you were just trying to be extra."

"Although I do love to be extra, I wouldn't torture myself like this if I had known that there was a door."

Mihawk stared at Shanks as he continued to climb.

"Help please?"

Mihawk sighed then went inside to get a rope for the one armed man.

The redhead's eyes lit up as he saw Mihawk throw him down the rope. He grabbed on quickly.

Mihawk made sure that the villain was holding on completely before he began to pull him up.

Shanks thanks Mihawk as soon as he was safely in Mihawk's house.

"So, to what do I owe this surprise visit?" Mihawk asked as he sat down in one of his chairs.

"Come one, don't act like that. You should know why I'm here."

"I'm afraid that I don't"

"I figured out who the attacker is."

"And who would that be?"

"Marshall D. Teach."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, listen here y'all. I'm going on vaction starting tomorrow and won't be back until monday of next week. I probably won't be able to post anything that week, so don't be surprised if I don't post for a little while. I'm still working on the story, I just won't be able to update anything.


	54. Chapter 54

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeet yeet! I'm back bois!

"I should have figured that it was Teach. He's a good for nothing man that doesn't deserve to live," Mihawk said. "People like him should only be found in the depths of hell."

Shanks was shocked. He's never seen Mihawk this upset about anything. He's never seen Mihawk this upset about _anyone_.

"We need to tell Sabo, Ace, and Zoro about all this," Mihawk added.

He put on his long coat and began to walk out the room.

"Woah, woah, woah, just where do you think you're going?" Shanks asked, moving to block Mihawk from leaving.

"To tell the ones that need to know."

"You can't just go out. Everyone thinks you're dead. If someone sees you, that's bad news."

"But helping people is part of my job. I'm a _hero_, Akagami. If I don't tell them, they'll only end up hurt even more."

"Yeah, but-"

"They're _children_, Akagami. I'm not going to leave them in the dark. They don't deserve to get hurt anymore just because I was too afraid to show my face in public. I _have_ to do something."

Shanks stood in silence for a moment, taking in all of Mihawk's words. It took a while for Shanks' reply to finally come. "Alright, I see your point, but there just might be another way we can solve our problems. A way that doesn't involve you getting found out, but we will still protect the kids.

"And what way would that be?"

"We go straight for Teach."

Mihawk raised an eyebrow.

"If you kill Teach, then we won't have to tell the others, nor will we have to compromise your secret."

"Didn't he beat you last time?"

"The only reason he was able to take me out last time was because he took me by surprise, plus I was helping defend Zoro's half dead body. We'll be able to take him out easy if we work together."

Mihawk slipped his massive sword behind his back and waited for Shanks to move out of the doorway. "Let's go then."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sabo had come over to Garp's mansion nearly everyday. He had been careful to avoid Law and Garp.

Ace had questioned why Sabo was there many times. Sabo always replied by saying he was worried about Luffy. He always said that if Ace and Zoro were targeted, then Luffy might be as well.

Sabo knew the real reason why he chose to stay. Luffy was in danger. The best part of that was the fact that Sabo had no idea who was even going after Luffy in the first place.

Luffy's friends had all come over one day. One of those friends, the girl with black hair, whose name Sabo thinks is Robin, came up to him and pulled him away from everyone else.

"I saw what you did in the hospital," Robin began. "When that person first tried to pull you out of the window. I saw what you did."

Sabo was confused. This was the first time he had seen Robin since the hospital incident and he was suddenly bombarded by her words.

"The others might not have seen it, or put everything together, but I did. I saw you light yourself on fire to try and save yourself. Even if it was only for a second, I saw the fire," Robin continued. "I only know of two people with fire powers. One of those is Solar Flare, who I know you aren't, an the other is Wildfire, who is the only one that I don't know the identity of."

Sabo stared at her in shock.

"Well, I wasn't sure about who it was," Robin said. "I wasn't sure about it until today."

_She really is a smart woman._

"So, _Wildfire_, do you want to tell me what you plan on doing to Luffy and his brother?"

Sabo looked around to make sure that no one was around, then he spoke in a whisper. "Okay, listen, you figured it out, but your not the only one good at discovering secrets. I know that Ace is Solar Flare. I also know that because I'm a villain, you expect me to be her for malicious reasons, but I'm here to tell you that that isn't the case. I don't know why, but I'm dating Ace. I've grown to love him and are for him, along with his little brother. I'm not here to hurt Luffy or Ace. I'm here to protect them."

"How can I be so sure about that?"

Sabo sighed. "I figured that you wouldn't believe me, but I have to ask you to. Someone attacked Ace and they're going for Luffy too. I don't know when they'll show up, but they will. I have eyes on the inside. I know what is going on inside the Villain Alliance. Luffy is in danger."

"I still don't trust you."

"I'm not asking you to trust me. I'm asking you to believe me."

Robin continued to look at him with suspicion.

"Robin, you care for Luffy, I know you do. You want to keep him safe, I know that. You don't trust me because I'm a villain. You think I'm going to hurt Luffy, but I can assure you that if I wanted Luffy dead, he would be just that. But no matter if you trust me or not, I don't want to see Luffy hurt, physically or mentally. I want him to be safe. You don't need to trust me, I wouldn't trust me if I were in your position, but Luffy's in danger. Please... you have to believe me."

Robin looked around for a moment, just like Sabo had done earlier.

"Alright, _Sabo_, I believe you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I'm going to be able to make up all the chapters that I wasn't able to write on vacation. Also, I'm thinking about changing up my update schedule just a bit. I think I'll post on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. That means I won't post a chapter tomorrow. I think that with this schedule, I'le be able to make the chapters longer and better. Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy.
> 
> P.S. I have only gotten 6 hours of sleep in the past two days, so I'm a little sleep deprived, but that's okay. I also have three days of make up work to do for school, so it'll be fun. I like going on vacation, but not at the cost of all the school work I have to do after. Also, my car won't start, so that's great. My laptop screen also broke. Don't y'all just love life?


	55. Chapter 55

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just made this new update schedule so that I could get you guys updates on time, but here I am, bringing you Friday's chapter a day late.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

"Well, if it isn't Akagami Shanks. To what do I owe this lovely visit?"

Shanks glared at the man in front of him.

"You know damn well why I'm here Teach."

Teach offered Shanks a large smirk. "It took you long enough to finally realize that it was me."

Mihawk stepped into the room to confront the man as well.

Teach's grin fell a bit. "You came prepared, I see."

"You don't really think I'd be that much of an idiot, do you?"

"Well, I never know with you Akagami."

Mihawk began to draw his sword.

Teach held up a hand. "Now, now Hawk-Eyes, we can discuss this like civil people."

"You had your chance at being civil," Mihawk replied.

"You blew it the second you decided to attack Zoro and I in that alley. Not to mention what you did Sabo at the hospital too," Shanks added.

Mihawk's sword was completely out now.

"It wasn't just you three, you know," Teach said. "I attacked everyone that knew."

"Who else did you attack?" Shanks asked.

"You'll have to figure that out."

"Why do you want us dead?" Mihawk asked.

"I don't want you dead. If that were the case, Zoro and Sabo would be long dead."

"Then why did you attack us?" Mihawk rephrased his question.

"I don't like when people know things that I don't know," Teach answered.

Mihawk raised his sword toward Teach. Teach raised his hands just a bit.

Shanks gave Mihawk a glance, then nodded.

Mihawk walked forward until his sword was pressed against Teach's heart.

"Hawk-Eyes," Teach said cautiously, "think about what you're doing."

"I did."

"Do it Mihawk," Shanks said.

Mihawk happily obliged. He thrust his sword deep into Teach's heart. He made sure Teach was actually bleeding before he pulled out the sword.

Shanks watched the ordeal go down. Then he watched as Teach fell to the ground. He couldn't help the smile that came to his lips as he watched to blood pool beneath the man.

Mihawk put his sword onto his back and looked around the room suspiciously.

"Something seems wrong," Mihawk said.

"That was too easy," Shanks replied

"_Way_ too easy."

"But he's dead?" It seemed more like a question than a statement.

"I stabbed him right through the heart. He's bleeding. It's not one of his tricks. His heart is stopped.

"He's dead." Shanks seemed to be trying to convince himself that it was actually true.

"That scum of the earth is finally dead." Mihawk turned around. He walked toward the door. "Let's go Akagami."

Shanks slowly turned around. "Right."

"Not so fast."

Shanks and Mihawk turned around quickly. Mihawk's hand was at his sword handle in an instant.

There was a man behind them. He was holding a small device.

_It looks like a detonator._

Shank's eyes widened.

_Wait. There's a bomb._

"Mihawk-"

Shanks was cut off by the boom.

The floor began to cave in.

Shanks reached an arm out toward Mihawk. He pulled the former hero to his chest to protect him.

Shanks gabe Mihawk a small smile. "Don't worry, I'll make sure that we're fine."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Something's wrong._

Sabo knows when there's a fire. He knows because of the slight change in air temperature, plus the slight smell of smoke.

When there's a fire, it's easy to smell, even from a distance.

_I should help._

Sabo reached for his mask that sat beside him on the roof of the Alliance building. He liked sitting up here. It gave him a great view of the city, plus some extra peace and quiet.

Sabo put on his mask, then his hat after it. He grabbed his metal pipe as he stood up.

_Wait._

Sabo froze. He held his pole tightly. He held it as if there were someone standing right behind him.

_What am I doing?_

_S_abo sat back down on the roof.

_I'm a villain._

It was getting dark. Sabo should be able to see the fire soon.

The heroes should already be there. It shouldn't take long for them to get the fire out.

Sabo couldn't help but feel a sudden bubble of guilt rise in his chest.

_Why do I feel like this?_

Sabo continued to grip his pole tightly. He let go when he felt the metal bend in his hand.

Sabo looked at his hands. They were shaking slightly.

_What's happening to me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are y'all caught up with the newest one piece chapters? It's wild.


	56. Chapter 56

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lonely

**"Two bodies were found in today's fire. They were burned beyond recognition. The heroes are currently searching for the cause of the fire, but we have a feeling that the notorious villain known as Wildfire was behind the fire."**

People started to congratulate Sabo on another job well done.

Sabo stopped them by saying, "It wasn't me."

Everyone looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean it wasn't you?"

"Who else could it be?"

"If you didn't start the fire, then why were you gone for so long?"

"It _wasn't_ me," Sabo said through gritted teeth.

"Then who di-"

"I don't know who did!" Sabo yelled.

Every seemed surprised at his sudden outburst.

"I don't know who lit the fire. I wasn't there." Sabo spoke with a calmer voice this time.

No one said anything. They all seemed stunned to silence by him yelling earlier.

Sabo noticed this.

"I'm going out," Sabo said, putting on his mask, then walking out of the building.

"Wait!" Koala called after him.

"Not now Koala," Sabo replied. "I need some time alone... to figure some things out."

"Figure out what...?" Koala seemed to trail off when she saw that Sabo continued to walk out the door.

Sabo walked out into the cold streets. He didn't really care about the cold. He's always found that his fire power gives him a slightly higher body temperature, which makes him much more immune to colder temperatures.

Sabo didn't care that he was walking out in public in full villain outfit.

"Hey!"

Sabo lifted his head towards the voice. He didn't think it was talking to him, but then again, the streets were nearly empty, so it might be talking to him. But who would purposefully call out a known and wanted villain.

"Yes you! What's your name? Forest Fire!"

Sabo stopped walking and looked at the person calling his name. He felt very agitated at the moment. He wanted to punch someone in the face with a flaming fist.

All the agitation and anger flooded out of his body when he realized that it was Luffy, who he had began to think of like a younger brother.

"Oh, Forest Fire, you can hear me."

"It's Wildfire."

"Whatever. Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you were across town at the fire."

"I didn't light that fire. And besides, what are _you_ doing out here. It's late and you should be out."

_Plus you're being hunted by another villain._

"You sound like my older brother. And his boyfriend. And his friend. And my Grandpa. And my-"

"Alright, I get it." Sabo paused as he looked around. "But I'm serious. You should scram. There are dangerous people here."

"Like you?"

"Yes, like me. You shouldn't be talking to me. You should be running away. You should be calling for help. You should fear me."

"But you seem sad. And confused. And also angry. But you're mostly confused."

"Okay, Maybe I am a little confused at the moment, but you still shouldn't be talking to me. I'm a dangerous villain. I won't hesitate to kill you."

_Oh, but I would._

"If you wouldn't hesitate, then why haven't you killed me already?"

_Luffy really does have a death wish._

Sabo let out a sigh. "You said it yourself. I'm just a little confused right now. I'm don't feel like killing anyone right now. I just want to be alone and figure things out."

"I can help you figure things out if you want."

Sabo felt himself smile just a little bit underneath his mask.

_Luffy really is too pure for this world._

Sabo tensed up and froze.

"Huh? What's wrong Wildfire."

"Someone's watching us."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ace, what's wrong, yoi?"

"Something just... feels off. I'm not sure what it is, but I feel like something bad is about to happen. Or is already happening."

"Well, there was a fire just downtown, yoi."

"That's not it. I feel like something's wrong with Luffy. I feel like he's in danger."

"What makes you say that, yoi?"

"I'm not sure. I've just... I just feel like he's doing something that he shouldn't be doing."

"Well, we can check on him, yoi."

"He's in his room right?"

"That's where he said he'd be, yoi."

"Let's go check then."

Ace stood from the chair he was currently sitting in. He walked out of his room and toward Luffy's. Marco followed closely behind Ace.

The hallway was quiet- no, it was _silent_.

_It's never silent._

"Something is definitely wrong."

"You sure, yoi?"

"I'm 100% sure. Don't you hear how quiet it is? It's never this quiet. Something has to be wrong."

"Luffy could have gone to sleep early, yoi."

Ace let out a laugh.

"Luffy go to sleep early? That's a good one. But I know Luffy a lot better than you do. Luffy does not go to sleep early. He stays up as late as he possibly can without getting yelled at by Gramps."

"Then if he's not asleep, what is he doing, yoi?"

Ace stood silent as he placed his hand onto Luffy's door. He took a deep breath before he pushed the door open.

The room was entirely dark. No one was in the bed. No one was sitting in a chair.

_No one was there._

"Luffy..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not alone


	57. Chapter 57

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's passing their AP class? It's me, surprisingly.

"Why are you protecting me?" Luffy asked.

Sabo looked over his shoulder and at Luffy. Luffy had a cut on his head. It was bleeding a lot, as all head injuries do. Luffy shouldn't be hurt too bad.

Sabo, on the other hand, wasn't sure if he could say the same thing about himself.

The blue haired man had brought seastone bullets, along with a seastone knife. He knew who he was attacking and he came prepared.

Sabo had been shot, once, in his left leg. The bullet went straight through. It really hurt for him to stand on his leg.

He'd lost his metal pipe somewhere in the scuffle. He was fighting with his fists and his fire.

His wrists were severely cut. He was always taught that if someone had a knife, then you should defend yourself with your wrists. It would minimize the amount of fatal wounds obtained.

Sabo had managed to knock the gun away from the assailant. It was somewhere in the alley now. Sabo hadn't bothered to look for it, seeing as he was currently battling the blue haired man.

Sabo ignored Luffy's question and threw a flaming fist at the other man.

The blue haired man ducked to the side, then countered by aiming his knife toward Sabo's masked face.

Sabo took a step back from the man. His foot hit something metal.

_The gun._

The man's knife managed to cut a bit of his mask, along with a small part of his cheek.

Sabo bent down quickly, reaching for the gun. He grabbed it and stood up equally quick.

"Drop the knife or I shoot," Sabo warned, pointing the gun at the blue haired man.

The man quickly grasped onto the situation. He slowly placed the knife onto the ground, then stood up straight with his hands raised.

"Now tell me what you want," Sabo demanded.

The man took a second to answer. "I want Monkey D. Luffy dead."

"Why?"

"I'm just following orders."

"Orders from who?"

"Pirate King. He told me that I should complete the mission that you couldn't."

Sabo cocked back the gun.

"He also said that you aren't allowed to get involved," the man added. "No personal feelings getting in the way. Remember?"

Sabo clenched his jaw, which made the cut in his cheek sting.

_I gave Roger my word._

Sabo then smiled beneath his mask.

"No personal feelings involved if it was self defense," Sabo said.

The blue haired man's eyes widened.

"You little-"

Sabo shot him in the chest. The body instantly fell to the ground. Blood quickly pooled beneath him.

"Did... did you kill him?" Luffy asked quietly from behind Sabo.

Sabo had almost forgotten that he was there.

Sabo lowered the gun to his side and turned to Luffy.

"Don't worry. He won't be trying to kill you anymore."

"So he's dead?"

Sabo looked at thee body, then back to Luffy.

"Yeah, he's dead."

Sabo then took a step toward Luffy.

Luffy shrunk back a bit.

Sabo froze and raised a hand up. He also shoved the gun into one of his pockets.

"Don't worry Luffy, I just want to check out that head injury of yours."

Luffy then looked at Sabo's bleeding leg and arms.

"But what about you? You got shot. and your arms are all cut up."

"Don't worry about me. I've had much worse." Sabo then took another step toward Luffy. He bit his lip at the pain of walking. "So, why don't you let me take a look at your head?"

Luffy pondered it for a moment.

"But- but you're bleeding a lot more. I should take care of you. You did protect me, after all. Speaking of which, you still never told me why you did that."

"I'm not entirely sure why I protected you. You just seemed too nice to kill. You seem too pure. Too innocent."

"But you tried to kill me a couple months ago."

"Well, that was before you decided to talk to me on the street in the middle of the night. Thanks for that, by the way. I just really needed someone to talk to."

Luffy smiled. "I am a hero after all."

"Oh?"

"Well, I'm not legally a hero, but once I turn 19. Then I'm going to be the best hero that this world has ever seen!"

Sabo smiled a small smile.

"I'm sure you'll be a great hero Luffy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just as Ace was about to go running out the front door of the mansion, the door opened, causing Ace to stumble back just a bit.

Ace was surprised to see Luffy, bleeding from his head, standing next to Wildfire, who was also bleeding quite a lot.

"Oh, Ace, is Marco here?" Luffy asked quickly.

"No, he just left to go find you," Ace replied, but he kept his eyes trained cautiously on Wildfire. "Why do you need him. And why did you bring a villain to our house. Not to mention one that just started a fire downtown."

"Actually, that wasn't him," Luffy replied. "And Wildfire's hurt. He got shot and all cut up while he protected me from the strange blue haired man. You know, the one that attacked me and Zoro a while ago."

"Protected?" Ace mumbled.

"Anyway, we should get him to Traffic quickly. He's bleeding a lot. Also, he's in a lot of pain, but he won't admit it."

Wildfire turned to look at Luffy.

Ace noticed the large cut that was made in Wildfire's mask. He could see blood behind it.

"Your face is bleeding too," Ace pointed out.

Once again, Ace seemed to forget that Wildfire was a villain.

"It's fine," Wildfire replied.

His voice seemed just a tad familier to Ace, but he wasn't exactly sure.

"But we should get you to Law regardless," Ace said. "Luffy, let's get him upstairs."

"So we're going to help him?" Luffy asked happily.

Ace nodded. "But we better make it quick. We don't want Gramps to find out that we brought a villain into his house."

"Come one Wildfire, let's go," Luffy said, grabbing onto Wildfire's arm and helping him walk.

Ace watched Wildfire walk with a noticeable limp. He also saw the slight footprints of blood he left. Ace also saw the blood that dripped from his fingers. They weren't gloved like they normally were. The villain was clearly in pain.

Luffy and Wildfire went up the stairs much slower than Ace did, so Ace had to wait for them at the top of the stairs. He looked around the hallway to make sure that Garp, nor any of the other heroes, were around.

"Hurry up, we're clear," Ace said.

Wildfire looked at Ace. Ace could practically feel a glare from behind his mask. "We're going as fast as we can."

_There it is again._

That voice. That damn voice. Ace knows that voice. He's heard that voice before.

_Where do I know that voice?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have any of y'all ever checked to see if you have a photographic memory? Cause I'm not entirely sure if I have a photographic memory, but I remember things really well and easily.


	58. Chapter 58

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm craving some good mystery books right now.

Shanks opened his eyes slowly and let out a cough. It was really dark.

_The building must have collapsed._

He was laying stomach down on the hard concrete. Every breath he took filled his lungs with smoke, dust, and pain. He coughed again. It was much more painful and violent this time.

His mouth filled with a metallic taste. The warm liquid dripped down from the corners of his mouth.

_Blood._

Shanks tried to lift himself up, but he stopped himself when he felt a sudden pain in his chest and back. He winced at the pain, then lowered himself back down to the ground in hopes of limiting his pain.

Shanks reached to where he felt the pain behind his back.

His hand made contact with something long and metal. It was covered in warm liquid.

_More blood._

"Shanks?"

The voice was soft and pained. Shanks wasn't exactly sure where in the darkness it came from.

"Mihawk? That you?"

"It's me. What happened?"

"The bomb, remember? The building collapsed on us. Everything was on fire too. Are you okay?"

"I think I have a concussion."

"That's not good."

"My legs are also crushed by rock. I don't think I can get it off myself. A few cuts and scrapes as well. Other than that I'm fine. How are you?"

"Impaled by a metal rod."

"What?"

"There is a metal rod in my chest. I think it punctured a lung."

"Are you sure it punctured a lung?"

"It's hard to breath. I'm coughing up blood. Even just talking hurts."

"Then why are you still talking?"

"I don't kno-"

Shanks delved into another violent fit of coughs.

"Shanks?"

"I'm- I'm fine."

"Coughing up more blood?"

"Yeah."

"Akagami, you are _not_ okay."

"I think- I think I need to get to a hospital."

"I can't get my legs out. I won't be able to help you."

"I might have my phone on me."

Shanks grunted as he tried to reach for his pocket. It was a difficult task seeing as he had a massive metal pole in his lung.

"You didn't think to call someone earlier?"

"I was trying to find out why I was coughing up blood."

"Well call someone now."

Shanks finally felt his phone in his pocket. He pulled it up towards his face. It was covered in cracks, dust, and blood.

He pressed the power button and prayed that it wasn't too damaged.

It took a while, but the bright light of the phone finally turned on. Shanks went straight to his contacts. He chose the one that he knew would answer.

**"Hello?"**

"Sabo, is this you?"

**"It's me."**

"Oh thank god. I need your help."

**"Can it wait? I'm kind of busy right now."**

"Well-"

Shanks went into another fit of coughs. More blood spilled from his lips.

**"Shanks? What's going on?"**

"Well, you see, Mihawk and I have found ourselves in a bit of a predicament."

**"Just tell me what's wrong."**

"Okay, we did something we probably shouldn't have, and now, well, now we are trapped underneath a building."

**"Wait, the building downtown? The one that I saw collapse on the news?"**

"That's probably it."

**"You two are trapped under there?"**

"Yup."

**"Just hang tight, I'll be there shortly."**

"Wait bring a-"

Sabo hung up.

"-a doctor."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sabo was sitting on an operating bed, as Law was working on stitching his bullet wound, when he got a call. He was quick to pick up the phone as soon as he saw the caller ID.

"Hello?" 

**"Sabo, is this you?"**

"It's me."

**"Oh thank god. I need your help."**

"Can it wait."

Sabo looked down at his leg.

"I'm kind of busy right now."

**"Well-"**

Sabo heard a fit of violent coughs cut Shanks off.

_That's worrisome._

"Shanks? What's going on?"

**"Well, you see, Mihawk and I have found ourselves in a bit of a predicament."**

"Just tell me what's wrong."

**"Okay, we did something we probably shouldn't have, and now, well, now we are trapped underneath a building."**

"Wait, the building downtown? The one that I saw collapse on the news?"

**"That's probably it."**

_Some things finally make a bit more sense._

"You two are trapped under there?"

**"Yup."**

"Just hang tight, I'll be there shortly."

Sabo looked down at his leg again. Law was finishing up his stitching and bandaging.

**"Wait bring a-"**

Sabo hung up before he heard the rest of what Shanks was saying.

Sabo began to get off the table. "I have to go. Now."

Law reached a hand out to try and stop Sabo, but Sabo grabbed him with his metal arm.

Law froze when he saw the arm.

"I have to go," Sabo repeated.

Law lowered his arm slowly.

"You shouldn't be moving yet, so don't blame me if you pull your stitches," Law said.

"I won't."

Sabo limped past Ace and Luffy, who were sitting outside the door.

"You're okay?" Luffy asked.

"I don't know if you could call it 'okay,' but I'll live," Sabo replied.

"Where are you going now?" Ace asked.

Sabo continued to walk past them. "A friend of mine is in danger."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's y'all's favorite non-anime show?


	59. Chapter 59

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Je n'aime pas nager. Je rigole. J'aime nager. Et vous?

Shanks could here Mihawk grunt. He was pretty sure that Mihawk was trying to lift the fallen building off his legs.

He wasn't entirely sure though. Everything seemed a bit... fuzzy to him. Noises seemed drowned out. It was already hard to see, but it was suddenly much worse. Breathing was harder. He was taking slower and shorter breaths every time.

"I thought... you couldn't move those," Shanks spoke slowly and softly. He found that speaking like he normally did left him in too much pain.

"I had to at least try before I gave up."

Shanks could barely speak, yet Mihawk was trying to lift ruble from his legs.

Shanks let out a little bit of a laugh.

"What are you laughing about?"

"I think- I think I've lost too much blood."

Mihawk mumbled something in return.

Shanks felt suddenly tired. His hearing was even fuzzier than before. He wasn't sure if Mihawk was actually talking.

"Shanks, how long ago did you call Sabo?"

This time Shanks was the one that didn't reply. Everything was just a fuzzy noise to him. He didn't even register that Mihawk was talking.

"Shanks?"

_Is someone talking to me?_

"Akagami?"

_There it is again._

"Shanks. Why aren't you answering me?"

_Was that Mihawk? Was Mihawk trying to tell him something?_

"Tired," came Shanks' mumbled reply.

"Tired? Shanks no. Don't fall asleep."

_Sorry._

Shanks felt his eyes closing. Getting some rest just sounded so perfect right now.

He heard Mihawk's futile efforts to get the ruble off his legs.

"Shanks. You've got to stay with me. Keep-"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sabo wasn't sure why Ace and Luffy had been so insistent on following him to the building. Even Law had come with them. They said that if people were trapped under a building, then Sabo would need their help.

But he's a villain.

_Why are they so damn insistent on helping a villain like me._

When they finally reached the building, they found no else at the site.

"Isn't this the building you burned down?" Law asked. "What would you burn down a building with your friends-"

"I didn't burn this down," Sabo replied.

"Then who did?" Law asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," Sabo replied. "But I have a suspicion that my friend can help us out with that."

"Well, we should hurry. We don't know how long they've been down there. We don't know how injured they are either," Ace pointed out.

"What should we do to help?" Luffy asked.

"Don't worry, I can handle this," Sabo said.

Sabo squatted down to the ground. He placed his hands out in front of him, then lit himself on fire.

A sudden flame emerged from the pile of ruble.

"What are you doing?" Ace asked. "Do you want to burn them more than they already are?"

"Just shut up and watch!" Sabo snapped back.

He watched Ace flinch just a bit at his yelling.

Sabo ignored Ace's action and focused on trying to find Shanks and Mihawk.

The flames began to grow a light blue as they licked at the fallen building. It turned everything it touched to ash almost immediately.

"Blue... flames?" Ace mumbled to himself.

"Wildfire, if your friends even come close to that flame, they are going to die," Law pointed out.

"I know that!" Sabo yelled.

The flames grew when Sabo yelled.

He just needed everyone to stop talking. He was under a lot of stress and needed to focus. Shanks' and Mihawk's lives were on the line. If he messed up like he did years ago, then they would die.

He just needed to focus.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself and lower the flames.

"I've only done this once before, so I need to focus," Sabo said in a much calmer voice. "Don't talk to me unless absolutely necessary."

Sabo then closed his eyes. He needed to focus on finding Mihawk and Shanks before his flames burned them.

His flames burnt a little lower.

He opened his eyes and tried to quickly put out the flames.

_They won't go out._

Sabo stood up quickly and ran toward the blue fire.

"Wildfire? What's wrong?" Ace asked.

"I can't- I can't put out the flames," Sabo replied.

_Why won't they go out?_

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ace asked in return.

"It means that I have to do things a little differently."

"And how are you going to do that?"

Sabo answered by looking down at the flames once more.

_I'll be just fine._

Sabo jumped into the fire.

_I can't be hurt by my own flames._

His body instantly felt hotter. He felt like he was on fire.

_Right?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do any of you know French? If so, you're welcome for my earlier comment. 'Je n'aime pas nager' is one of my favorite things to say in French.


	60. Chapter 60

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note: I'm not going to be making up Saturday's chapter because we are nearing the end of the book. There are only going to be a few more chapters left and I don't want to be rushing through those.

Sabo wasn't sure why his body felt like it was burning. He was immune to his own fire.

_Maybe it's the smoke._

He's immune to is own fire, but the smoke from the fire still gives him a cough and burns his lungs.

But it wasn't just his lungs. He felt like his entire body was burning.

But he continued to dismiss the burning sensation. He had more pressing matters at the moment. He was still trying to put out the fire, and he was still looking for Shanks and Mihawk. He had to find them before it was too late.

"Shanks!" Sabo called as he crouched through the smoke, rubble, and fire. "Mihawk! Where are you?"

There was no reply.

Rubble was falling as it was being burned. Sabo really needed to hurry.

_I need to put out this fire._

Sabo knew one sure way of putting out the fire. Actually, he knew two, but seeing as there was no apparent sea stone around, he only had one way.

Sabo grabbed his metal pipe from his back. He held the pole above his head, then he swung down, hard, against his left leg.

Pain instantly shot through him and he heard the slight crack of bone. He dropped his pipe with a clange, then he crumbled to the ground in pain. He clutched his now broken, and previously shot, leg.

He grit his teeth as a hiss of curses fell from his mouth.

The fire around him began to falter and shrink. It was soon reduced to nothing but the remaining smoke and ashes.

Without sea stone, the only way to make himself completely useless was with an unbearable amount of pain to take his mind off the growing fire.

This way had always worked on Sabo. There had been several instances when Sabo had been attacked by people who didn't have sea stone. In those instances, a solid bullet to the side or a stab to the back had done the trick.

Sabo wasn't sure how he was going to find Shanks and Mihawk now that his leg was broken and he was in immense pain.

Sabo ended up grabbing his pipe with a grunt, then slowly raising himself off of the ground, using his pipe to aid him. He used the pipe as a crutch for his injured leg.

He began his search again. It was much slower this time.

Each step he took was another shot of pain into his system, but each step he took was also one step closer to finding Shanks and Mihawk underneath the rubble.

"Shanks!" Sabo called again. His voice was clearly laced with pain this time. "Where the hell are you!?"

"Here..."

There was a faint voice. Sabo wasn't entirely sure if he had actually heard it or not.

_No. I definitely heard that._

Sabo began to spin around. He looked frantically around for where he heard the voice. It had to have been from either Shanks or Mihawk.

"Sabo... here."

Sabo looked once again to where he heard the voice.

Then he saw the owner of the voice.

He could only make out the outline of the body. His vision was clouded by the thick amount of smoke in the small cavern.

"Shanks? Is that you?" Sabo asked. He squinted through the smoke as if it would help him see a little clearer.

"Mihawk."

Sabo sighed audibly. "Thank god."

"I wouldn't say that... just yet."

Sabo was confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Sabo... did you call an ambulance?"

"No."

"A hero?"

"Technically no, but they came anyone."

"You think you could call them down here?"

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I think Shanks has a punctured lung. It hurts for him to talk and breathe."

"I'll get them down here."

There was a grunt in response.

"Alright, you two sit tight. I'll be back as fast as I can."

"I wouldn't worry about us moving. Shanks has a pole sticking out his chest and my legs are crushed by rocks," Mihawk said.

"Alright- alright, I'll hurry. Just- just don't die on me down here. I'll be right back."

Sabo began to run, well walk, seeing as he was limping with the help of a pipe, toward where he entered.

"Oh, Sabo," Mihawk's voice stopped Sabo. "Calm down. We're going to be just fine. I can hear how hectic your breathing is. There's a slight vibrato in your voice as well. Just calm down. We're going to be just fine. We all are okay."

"Right," Sabo breathed. "Everyone is okay."

A scream echoed through the fallen building.

_Everyone is okay._

_Right?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These final chapters are only going to be written with one perspective. Just a heads up for the future.


	61. Chapter 61

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all excited for these last chapters?

That scream was not one of pain. Sabo knew a scream of pain when he heard one. That scream was one of horror. One of shock. That scream did not come from someone who was hurt. It came from someone that witnessed someone else get hurt.

And by the sound of the scream, Sabo would say that it was serious.

_It sounded like Luffy._

There was another scream, but this one sounded more like a desperate cry than a scream.

_It was definitely Luffy._

Sabo dropped his pipe. He grit his teeth through the pain and ran.

He ran faster than he ever did while outrunning heroes.

He would have transformed himself into fire in order get there faster, but he was in so much pain that he couldn't really think straight.

Each step he took was unbearable pain. Each step he could hear the grinding of his bones. Each step he took was adding to a blood trail behind him. Each step made his body scream for him to stop

But he couldn't stop. He couldn't stop when he knew for a fact that Luffy was the one that had screamed. Twice.

_Everyone is not okay._

_S_abo could see where he entered the fallen debris. There was no one standing by the edge, which meant that they had moved back away from it.

"Ace! Luffy! Law!" Sabo yelled. "What's wrong? I heard a scream!"

Sabo didn't get an answer at first.

"Wildfire?" 

It was a quiet voice. It sounded like Law's. Sabo could hear crying to. They were saying things that he wasn't able to hear.

"It's me! What's going on?"

Sabo still didn't get a clear answer.

"It's best if you see for yourself," the voice that Sabo was pretty sure belonged to Law said.

There was a slight strain in Law's voice. He was trying to do something. He was concentrating really hard on whatever he was doing.

Sabo figured that he wasn't going to be getting any help out of the pit he was in.

He closed his eyes to try and block out the pain. He just needed to turn himself into fire for a moment. He just had to get out of the pit. He shifted his weight to his uninjured foot and focused on his powers.

Then the familiar sensation of heat ran through his body. All feeling in his body seemed to disappear. He threw himself upward to the edge. He opened his eyes as soon as he felt solid ground beneath him.

He let out a groan and fell to his knees. He breathed in a few panting breaths as all the heat left his body and he looked around.

The first thing Sabo saw was blood. There was so much of it.

_Oh God. There was so much blood._

The second thing Sabo saw was Ace. He was leaning up against Luffy's shoulder. He was covered in blood.

The third thing Sabo saw was the hole that went straight through Ace's left side. It was undoubtedly a gunshot wound.

Ace's breathing was shallow. Ace had blood running down the corners of his mouth.

"Oh... Wildfire..." Ace whispered slowly. There was a clear pain in his voice, but there were no other indications that he was in any pain at all.

"Ace, try not to talk," Law said as he seemed to be observing Ace's wound. "I'll do what I can."

Ace let out a small little laugh. "No point... in trying..."

"Ace what are you talking about?" Luffy questioned.

Sabo could hear the pain in Luffy's voice.

_He's in so much pain._

"Bullet... went straight through... artery... I'll be... dead in... a minute..." Ace replied slowly.

"What- what happened?" Sabo asked hesitantly.

"A sniper," Law replied. "And hell of a good one. They would have killed Luffy if Ace hadn't gotten in the way. But Ace might die anyway. There's nothing that I can do."

"But- but you have to try," Luffy insisted as tears ran down his face.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Law questioned.

"He my... my brother," Luffy whispered. "You... you have to save him."

"Luffy..." Ace began, "don't... don't waste your time... with me."

"Don't say that."

"Luffy... I'm good... as dead... Law said... so."

"I'm not- I'm not going to give up on you."

"Luffy... thank you..."

Luffy let out more quiet sobs.

Sabo felt himself naturally turn away as well.

"Thank you... for loving me..."

Everything after that seemed to move in slow motion.

Ace's body slowly feel off Luffy's shoulder.

It slowly hit the ground.

The blood slowly started to pool beneath Ace.

The smile on his face remained.

Sabo felt a lump form in his throat as the reality of this all finally seemed to hit him.

_That's my boyfriend._

_He's dead._

Sabo couldn't draw his eyes away from Ace's body.

He caught a glimpse of Luffy sobbing. His mouth was wide open as he cried.

Law was leaning over Ace's body. He was on the phone with someone. He seemed to be frantically talking to them.

But Sabo didn't hear it. His hearing seemed to cut out for a moment. All the sounds mixed into a strange buzz of noise that rattled in Sabo's head.

Sabo slowly scooted closer to Ace's body. He slowly rolled the body over. Luffy seemed to take no notice, but Law had his eyes trained on Sabo.

Sabo was pretty sure that Law asked him what he was doing, but Sabo remained silent.

Sabo looked at the smile on Ace's face. He couldn't help but a small smile of his own force it's way onto his lips. Ace's smile had that effect on him.

But Sabo couldn't stand to look at the smile any more. The smile made him want to cry. And Sabo didn't want to cry.

Sabo slowly reached a hand to his mask. He pulled it off slowly. He brought it down and placed it over Ace's face gently.

Law seemed very confused by Sabo's actions now.

Sabo willed himself to finally stand up. It was slow and painful, but Sabo did it anyway.

Sabo turned his back to Ace and pulled his hat down a bit. He bit his lip to hold back his tears.

"It was a wonderful life... my love... Thank you..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What y'all think?


	62. Chapter 62

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sort of flashback chapter bois.

They say that there are seven minutes left of brain activity before you finally die. They say that in those seven minutes, you relieve your entire life. They say, but they have no proof.

There is no way to know for sure until it actually comes time for us to die.

But if that is truly the case, then we could all just be reliving our lives right now. It could be those last seven minutes for all of us. We could all be dead. But when he relive our life, we will start those seven minutes over again. Then over again. Then over again. 

We could be stuck in an endless loop of our lives that only lasts for seven minutes, but feels like it lasts forever.

But there is no way to know for sure until it actually comes time for us to die.

\---

_"Ace!"_

_I opened my eyes to Luffy's voice. I was confused._

_Aren't I supposed to be dead?_

_"Luffy? What's going on?"_

_"Come on Ace, you know what's going on. You've got that date with Sabo tonight. You guys are going to a movie. Remember?"_

_I sat up. I was on my couch. I looked at my chest. There was no bullet hole. There was no blood. No nothing._

_I was okay._

_I let out a sigh of relief. It was all just a dream._

_I was alive._

_"Right," I mumbled slowly. I still felt kind of disoriented from this all._

_I can't believe that I'm okay. I know that bullet went through my heart._

_The pain didn't come until after I was shot. It didn't come until I realized that I was on Luffy's shoulder and bleeding out._

_"Hurry up, you have to leave in half an hour."_

_"Alright, I'm hurrying."_

_I stood up from the couch and went to my room to get ready. I caught a glimpse of the clock on my way._

** _6:23_ **

_I'd assume that I'm supposed to leave around 7._

_I saw my calendar once I reached my room._

** _October 12, 2078_ **

_Wait._

_But that's not right._

_October 12 was over two months ago._

_Is this the real dream?_

_\---_

_"Ace, yoi?"_

_I woke up again. This time it was Marco._

_"Yeah?"_

_"You fell asleep on the couch, again, yoi."_

_I let out a yawn and sat up._

_"I was wondering if you are feeling okay, yoi."_

_"Don't worry about me Marco. I'm doing just fine."_

_"You sure, yoi."_

_"I'm sure."_

_Marco nodded in acknowledgement, then turned around._

_"Actually, Marco, there is something."_

_Marco turned back around to let me know that he was listening._

_"Well, you see, I have been having these weird dreams lately."_

_"What kind of dreams, yoi?"_

_"Well, I had a dream that I died. I think it was a dream, at least."_

_"What do you mean, __you _think_ it was a dream, yoi?"_

_"It all felt so... so _real_. I felt like I was dying. But then... then I woke up to Luffy yelling. Also, i__n my dream I discovered it was October 12. Then I woke up here. That's about it... Actually, what's the date today."_

_"November 3. Why, yoi?"_

_It's still too early._

_Is this also a dream?_

_\---_

_I woke up on my own this time. I was on the same couch. The lights were all off. It was still dark outside._

_I looked around. I saw Sabo sleeping in the chair near the couch. He was curled up into a little ball with his head resting on one of the arm rests and his feet hanging off the other._

_He looked so peaceful when he sleeped._

_I sat up on the couch._

_Sabo began to stir at the noise. "What's going on?"_

_"I just have to go to the bathroom. Don't worry. You can go back to sleep."_

_Sabo nodded with a yawn in understanding._

_I leaned over the chair and pressed a small kiss onto his lips._

_He smiled slightly after I pulled away._

_"I guess that makes us officially boyfriends," Sabo whispered._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"That was our first real kiss. That makes us oficial."_

_I then seemed to realize that._

_"I guess we are."_

_"Is that okay?"_

_I smiled. "Of course it is."_

_"I'm glad."_

_"Alright. You go back to sleep. I'm going to go to the bathroom."_

_"Right."_

_I couldn't help but smile as I made my way to the bathroom._

_My smile fell as I saw the calendar._

** _November 29_ **

_It's still too early._

_Is this another dream?_

_But it feels so real._

_Is this real?_

_\---_

_I checked my phone first thing when I woke up._

** _December 18_ **

_The TV was on. It was going on about some fire on the other side of town. It happened in broad daylight._

_This wasn't Wildfire._

_Ace remembers this day very clearly. He felt like it was just yesterday._

_Well, it was yesterday._

_Actually, Ace wasn't too sure what was what anymore. He didn't know if this was real or a dream anymore._

_Ace went up to the door. He began to open it, but it was opened from the outside._

_Luffy stood there. He was bleeding from his head._

_Wildfire was next to him. Wildfire was bleeding. Badly. He was using Luffy as support._

_"Oh, Ace, is Marco here?" Luffy asked quickly._

_"No, he just left to go find you," I replied. I glanced at Wildfire cautiously. "Why do you need him. And why did you bring a villain to our house. Not to mention one that just started a fire downtown."_

_I knew that Wildfire wasn't the one that started the fire. But my heart was pounding as I looked at the villain. The words just fell out of my mouth._

_"Actually, that wasn't him," Luffy replied. "And Wildfire's hurt. He got shot and all cut up while he protected me from the strange blue haired man. You know, the one that attacked me and Zoro a while ago."_

_"Protected?" I mumbled._

_"Anyway, we should get him to Traffic quickly. He's bleeding a lot. Also, he's in a lot of pain, but he won't admit it."_

_Wildfire turned to look at Luffy._

_Don't look so surprised Wildfire. Luffy's always had a way of knowing what people are feeling._

_I noticed a large cut in Wildfire's mask. I could see blood underneath it._

_"Your face is bleeding too."_

_Apparently I have a tendency of forgetting that Wildfire is an infamous villain that has killed people before._

_"It's fine," Wildfire replied._

_I recognize his voice._

_"But we should get you to Law regardless," I said. "Luffy, let's get him upstairs."_

_"So we're going to help him?" Luffy asked happily._

_I nodded. "But we better make it quick. We don't want Gramps to find out that we brought a villain into his house."_

_"Come one Wildfire, let's go," Luffy said, grabbing onto Wildfire's arm and helping him walk._

_I watched Wildfire walk with a noticeable limp. I saw the slight footprints of blood he left. I saw the blood that dripped from his fingers. They weren't gloved like they normally were. He was in a lot of pain._

_I looked around the hallway to make sure Gramps wasn't there. "Hurry up, we're clear," I said._

_Wildfire looked at me. I could practically feel a glare from behind his mask. "We're going as fast as we can."_

_I probably should have realized it earlier._

_I should have known where I heard that voice before._

_\---_

_This time, I woke up in pain._

_I reached up to my left side. My hand felt the warm liquid from the bullet hole._

_I was losing blood quickly._

_Luffy was screaming and crying. Law was trying to help me._

_There was no use though._

_I knew what Law could and couldn't do._

_I knew where that bullet hit._

_I knew that Law couldn't bring someone back from the brink of death in the middle of the street._

_I knew that I would be dead in a matter of minutes._

_After all, it only takes five minutes to die from blood loss._

_That bullet hit an artery. I know it did._

_Wildfire seemed to make his way over to us on the ledge._

_Did he find the trapped people? Did he help them?_

_I felt blood dripping down my mouth. I could also feel the way that my breathing began to hitch._

_"Oh... Wildfire..." I whispered._

_Oh god, it hurt so much._

_"Ace, try not to talk," Law said. "I'll do what I can."_

_I laughed softly. "No point... in trying..."_

_"Ace what are you talking about?" Luffy questioned._

_I felt a lump in my throat._

_Luffy's voice told me just how much pain he was in._

_He was taking this harder than I was._

_"Bullet... went straight through... artery... I'll be... dead in... a minute..." I replied slowly._

_I could feel more blood rush out of my body as I spoke. Each word was more pain._

_"What- what happened?" Wildfire asked hesitantly._

_Oh, it was so obvious now. How could I have not noticed the similarities in their voices earlier?_

_Wildfire was Sabo. Their voices were identical._

_I was dating a villain. A murdered. The exact person that I told myself I would never be._

_"A sniper," Law replied. "And hell of a good one. They would have killed Luffy if Ace hadn't gotten in the way. But Ace might die anyway. There's nothing that I can do."_

_"But- but you have to try," Luffy insisted._

_I think- I think Luffy's crying._

_Again._

_Why am I the one that has to make my brother cry?_

_"What do you think I'm doing?" Law questioned._

_"He's my... my brother," Luffy whispered. "You... you have to save him."_

_"Luffy..." I began, "don't... don't waste your time... with me."_

_"Don't say that."_

_Luffy is in so much pain._

_"Luffy... I'm good... as dead... Law said... so."_

_I hate to see him like this._

_"I'm not- I'm not going to give up on you."_

_But there's just no way in hell that I was going to survive this._

_"Luffy... thank you..."_

_Luffy let out quiet sobs._

_Wildf- Sabo turned away._

_I couldn't help the small smile that came to my face._

_I hate to go this way. In the arms of my brother. Next to my boyfriend._

_It makes me think of all the good things that could happen if I live._

_"Thank you... for loving me..."_

_I don't want to die._

_\---_

They say that there are seven minutes left of brain activity before you finally die. They say that in those seven minutes, you relieve your entire life. They say, but they have no proof.

There is no way to know for sure, until it actually comes time for us to die.

But if that is truly the case, then we could all just be reliving our lives right now. It could be those last seven minutes for all of us. We could all be dead. But when he relive our life, we will start those seven minutes over again. Then over again. Then over again. 

We could be stuck in an endless loop of our lives that only lasts for seven minutes, but feels like it lasts forever.

But there is no way to know for sure, until it's too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Per request, I will be making an alternate ending to this fic. It will be an ending where Ace miraculously lives. There will be one more chapter after this one before the alternate ending though.


	63. Chapter 63

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter of the real ending!

Sabo was invited to the funeral a week later.

He didn't go.

He had barely left his room since the incident.

Koala had knocked on his door several times in hopes of getting Sabo to come out.

Today, Roger was the one that knocked on the door.

"Sabo."

Sabo knew it was serious. Roger barely ever used Sabo's real name.

"Let me in Sabo. I need to talk to you."

"I don't feel like talking right now."

"I have a mission for you."

In the past week, Sabo hadn't gotten any missions. He had just stayed in his room. But maybe it was time to try and take his mind off something else.

Sabo slowly opened the door.

Roger handed Sabo a small file of papers.

"You know Sabo, it's not good to stay cooped up in here."

Sabo sighed. "I know. Koala has told me that over and over again. It's just- I- I lost someone very important to me. Someone that didn't treat me like a villain. Someone that made me feel loved. Someone that understood me. Someone that stood on the opposite side of the spectrum, but still loved me. And I loved him."

"I understand."

"No you don't! Everyone says that they understand but they don't! They don't know how it feels to lose someone they would do anything for."

"Sabo, I know exactly how that feels."

Sabo stood silent for a moment. He realized that Roger was telling the truth.

"A long time ago... there was someone that I was incredible friends with. They ended up dying because of something I did. Worst part of it all was that I was right there, but there was nothing that I could have done to help."

"But that's not the same. I'm a villain, but he was a hero."

"Tell me Sabo, did you know that _I_ used to be a hero?"

"You... what?"

"I was a hero once. The best of the best, in fact. There was no villain that could stand in my way."

Sabo could sense that there was more to this story.

"Then what happened?"

"A villain that could stand in my way came along. He was an incredible villain. He always seemed to be one step ahead of me. We played a constant game of cat and mouse. I would capture him, then he would escape. He would capture me, then I would escape. We formed a strange sort of bond. We felt like we were closer to friends than enemies. We had fun while it lasted, but..."

Roger trailed off.

"But?"

"I took our game a little too far. I ended up doing something a hero should have never done."

Roger paused for a moment. He seemed to be planning on how to finish the story.

"I- I caused a building to collapse. The villain was in the building. I thought I had the villain trapped at last. I thought I had won. But it didn't take me too long to figure out that the building was still occupied by civilians. The villain... he saved every single one of those civilians. Some were hurt, but none of them died. Well, none of the civilians died, at least."

Roger paused again. His voice was filled with a little more regret this time.

"By the time I had found the villain in the rubble, he was bleed profusely. He was underneath a massive slab of concrete. By the way he was breathing, he most likely had a collapsed lung. He was dead before a doctor could arrive."

Roger could see the guilt in Roger's eyes.

_He never wanted the villain to die._

"At the moment of his death, I realized that he was someone that I would do anything for. I realized that he truly was someone special to me. After that, I changed my life and began to go down the path of villainy. What helped me get through it was the missions I went on. It helped me take my mind off it all."

Sabo looked through the papers he was given.

"I'll do it."

"That's good."

Roger was about to leave, but he stopped.

"Oh, and Sabo?"

Sabo hummed in response.

"Taking your mind of him doesn't mean completely forgetting him. You shouldn't ever forget about him. And... you should go visit his grave. It doesn't help to put that off."

"I'll go see the grave. And you don't have to worry about me forgetting him."

Roger nodded.

"I don't intend to forget the people I love."

_fin_ _réelle_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all of the real ending folks!
> 
> The next chapters are going to be the alternate, or as I am going to call it, the fixed ending.


	64. Fixed Chapter 61

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's part one of the fixed ending! Enjoy everyone living!

That scream was not one of pain. Sabo knew a scream of pain when he heard one. That scream was one of horror. One of shock. That scream did not come from someone who was hurt. It came from someone that witnessed someone else get hurt.

And by the sound of the scream, Sabo would say that it was serious.

_It sounded like Luffy._

There was another scream, but this one sounded more like a desperate cry than a scream.

_It was definitely Luffy._

Sabo dropped his pipe. He grit his teeth through the pain and ran.

He ran faster than he ever did while outrunning heroes.

He would have transformed himself into fire in order get there faster, but he was in so much pain that he couldn't really think straight.

Each step he took was unbearable pain. Each step he could hear the grinding of his bones. Each step he took was adding to a blood trail behind him. Each step made his body scream for him to stop

But he couldn't stop. He couldn't stop when he knew for a fact that Luffy was the one that had screamed. Twice.

_Everyone is not okay._

_S_abo could see where he entered the fallen debris. There was no one standing by the edge, which meant that they had moved back away from it.

"Ace! Luffy! Law!" Sabo yelled. "What's wrong? I heard a scream!"

Sabo didn't get an answer at first.

"Wildfire?" 

It was a quiet voice. It sounded like Law's. Sabo could hear crying to. They were saying things that he wasn't able to hear.

"It's me! What's going on?"

Sabo still didn't get a clear answer.

"It's best if you see for yourself," the voice that Sabo was pretty sure belonged to Law said.

There was a slight strain in Law's voice. He was trying to do something. He was concentrating really hard on whatever he was doing.

Sabo figured that he wasn't going to be getting any help out of the pit he was in.

He closed his eyes to try and block out the pain. He just needed to turn himself into fire for a moment. He just had to get out of the pit. He shifted his weight to his uninjured foot and focused on his powers.

Then the familiar sensation of heat ran through his body. All feeling in his body seemed to disappear. He threw himself upward to the edge. He opened his eyes as soon as he felt solid ground beneath him.

He let out a groan and fell to his knees. He breathed in a few panting breaths as all the heat left his body and he looked around.

The first thing Sabo saw was blood. There was so much of it.

_Oh God. There was so much blood._

The second thing Sabo saw was Ace. He was leaning up against Luffy's shoulder. He was covered in blood.

The third thing Sabo saw was the hole that went straight through Ace's side. It was undoubtedly a gunshot wound.

Ace's breathing was slow and shallow.

"Oh... Wildfire..." Ace whispered slowly. There was a clear pain in his voice, but there were no other indications that he was in any pain at all.

It was almost like he wasn't shot at all.

_How high is his pain tolerance?_

"Ace, try not to talk," Law said as he seemed to be observing Ace's wound. "I'll do what I can. Luffy, I need you to call the ambulance fast. It only takes about five minutes for someone to bleed out without help. Wildfire, I need your help to apply pressure to his wound. We need to stop the bleeding."

Sabo understood the severity of the situation immediately. He quickly took off his coat and bunched it up.

"It's going to hurt, but we need to apply pressure to the wound," Law explained to Ace.

"I know... I know... just don't let me... bleed out..."

Law turned Ace anto his back, placing his bunched up coat beneath Ace, then he nodded to Sabo.

Sabo crouched over by Ace and pressed his coat against Ace's wound. He pressed down hard.

Ace let out a hiss of pain and began to slowly fold in his legs, then unfold them.

"That hurts... stop..." Ace groaned.

"I know it does, but he can't stop," Law said. "He has to keep pressure on the wound if you want to live. Now tell me Ace, what do you want?"

"I don't... want to die..."

"That's what I thought," Law said as he looked to Luffy. "How's the ambulance coming?"

"They said they'll try to be here in 13 minutes."

"That might be too late," Law mumbled.

"I've got a better idea of who we can call," Sabo said.

"If they can help Ace, then go ahead," Law said. "I'll take over putting pressure on his wound."

Sabo quickly switched off with Law and pulled out his phone. He scrolled through his contacts quickly and pressed Marco's name. He put the phone to his ear and listened to the ringing on the other line.

It rang three times, then Marco picked up.

**"Sabo, yoi?"**

"We need you here right now."

**"What, yoi?"**

"Ace was shot and the ambulance isn't going to get here in time. He's bleeding a lot. We really need your help. He- he's going to die."

**"Alright, where are you, yoi?"**

"Have you been watching the news? They just mentioned a building that was burned down. The collapsed one? We are at that one. Come quickly."

**"I'm coming, yoi."**

"Hurry."

**"I will, yoi."**

"Please hurry."

Marco hung up on the call.

"Alright, he's on his way," Sabo said, putting his phone back into his pocket.

"When will he be here?" Law asked.

"I'm not sure when, but he'll be here. I know he will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it satisfies your needs.


	65. Fixed Chapter 62

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of the fixed ending!

The first thing Ace noticed was a bright, white, light.

_I've heard people say that when they are dying, they see a bright light. Is this that light? Am I dying?_

The second thing Ace noticed was that he was in incredible pain. Everything hurt.

_Is this what dying is like?_

"Ah, you're finally awake."

There was someone talking to him. He just wasn't sure who it was.

_Is it some sort of spirit meant to guide me to the afterlife?_

"I'll go tell Luffy and the others. They'll be happy to know that you've finally decided to join us."

The bright light seemed to fade and the reality of the situation seemed to finally settle into Ace.

He was laying in a hospital bed. Law was messing with Ace's IV a bit.

"Don't worry, the pain will go away shortly. I just raised your morphine dosage. You'll be in pain for about fifteen minutes or so before the morphine kicks in. I'll let Luffy and Sabo in for those fifteen minutes."

Ace tried to speak, but pain instantly flooded through him at the mere notion of moving his mouth.

"Speaking's going to hurt, so I'd try to avoid it."

Ace nodded in response this time.

Even nodding hurt.

"I'll go get Luffy and Sabo before you're too out of it."

Law left Ace alone in the room. He came back in less than a minute with Luffy and Sabo.

"Ace!" Luffy exclaimed upon seeing his older brother.

Ace couldn't help the small smile that painfully made its way onto his face.

"I'm glad that you're alright Ace," Sabo began.

Ace noticed the cut on Sabo's cheek. It was the exact same as the one underneath Wildfire's mask. He also noticed the way Sabo walked with a very noticeable limp.

"You had us all worried," Sabo finished.

_That damn voice again. Of course it was Sabo. _

"Wild... fire..." Ace rasped out despite the pain.

Sabo looked at him with a questioning glance.

"It's... you..."

Sabo stared at Ace in shock for a moment, then his lips curled into a sinister smile.

"Well, it's about time you figured it out."

_It all made sense now._

"I've known about your secret for so long. I was getting kind of impatient waiting for you to finally figure it out."

_Everything made so much more sense now. The pieces all fit together perfectly now that I look back._

_It was so simple._

"What... now...?" Ace slowly asked.

"I'm not sure," Sabo replied. "I mean, we've already kept this up for so long. Why don't we just ride it out? We'll see what happens."

Ace's smile widened as much as his pain tolerance would let him.

"...Alright..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's kinda short, I just want to make the final chapter of the fixed ending to be longer. Also, I wasn't entirely sure how to put more detail into this chapter. I hope y'all are fine with it being short.


	66. Fixed Chapter 63

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter of the fixed ending!

Sabo and Ace have played this game of cat and mouse for nearly five years now. They would alternate who was chasing who.

When seen as Wildfire and Solar Flare, those two were the worst of enemies. They both countered each other perfectly. They were constantly fighting. They were constantly capturing each other. There was no one they could even hold a friendly conversation for more than half a minute.

When seen as Sabo and Ace, those two were definitely in love. They were constantly flirting with each other. They were always going out on dates. They were always around each other. There was no way they could hold a heated argument for more than half a minute.

They seemed so different, yet they were the same people.

They seemed to hate each other on one hand, but couldn't get enough of each other on the other hand.

But it's been nearly five years since that fateful day where the building collapsed. Five years since Ace saw his life flash before his eyes. Five years since Sabo saw Ace's life flash before his eyes.

_Five long years._

Five years have gone by with a new news story every week. A new "Villain Wildfire claims victory against Solar Flare," or a new "Hero Solar Flare puts down Wildfire once again." They were always on the news. They became some of the biggest heroes.

Luffy also grew in fame. The second he debuted as an official hero, he was famous. Everyone knew about Luffy.

Ace had tried to tell Luffy that Sabo was actually Wildfire and that he was dating a villain, but the boy was so pure. Luffy would casually dismiss that fact that Sabo is a known murdered and say that he knows the real Sabo.

Luffy would completely forget that Sabo is a villain at all.

Ace even forgets about it sometimes too.

But no matter what, they've been with each other through thick and thin. Through constant fighting and constant flirting. They will always be there for each other too.

Then, it was two months after that when Ace decided that he wanted Sabo by his side forever. Ace proposed at the park where Ace first asked Sabo on a date. It was filled with memories and a sense of deja vu.

That's when Sabo found out that Roger was Ace's biological father. Sabo had been working for Ace's dad this entire time, but he didn't know.

"How come you never told me Roger was your dad?" Sabo asked.

"Well, it's not something that easy to do," Ace replied. "I mean, if I told someone that my dad was the biggest criminal in the city, they would instantly spread the word. My hero license would get revoked. Everyone would begin to think that I was a villain. The would think that I'm just like my father. But a parent's actions do not define the child. That's my motto. That helped me decide to get away from my father and become a hero."

Sabo smiled. "You know what. I lived by that exact same motto. My parents were both great heroes. They expected me to be just like them. They expected me to be a perfect child that did everything right and grew up to be the perfect hero. Maybe that's part of the reason I became a villain. I just wanted to show my parents that I was going to be what _I _wanted to be, not what _they_ wanted me to be."

"It is a shame that you chose to be a villain. We won't be able to really let anyone know about our marriage."

"That's alright. They only people that really need to know is those that came to the wedding."

"I guess you're right. But it would be nice to let a few other people we're close to know."

"Oh, speaking of that, I hope you don't mind if I told Mihawk and Shanks. They couldn't come to the wedding because everyone thinks they're dead, but I told them anyway."

"Oh, that's fine. I was going to invite them to the wedding anyway, but, for the same reason, I didn't."

"But either way, I say it's great that your grandfather is okay with this all. I thought he'd be a little less accepting of it, seeing as he is a hero through and through."

"Well, he's not my real grandpa, so he can't say no to the wedding. Also, he's always been pretty accepting of what I do in life. Even if he doesn't like it, he's always there to support me."

"He's a really great guy. Your luck to have him as a grandfather."

"I'd beg to differ. He's a great guy, sure, but sometimes... he can be a little intense."

Sabo laughed. "I know. I'm the one that practically got interrogated when he found out we were getting married."

Ace laughed as well. "I had nearly forgotten about that."

It was another month later when Ace decided that he was done being a hero. He told the press at an interview that he had suffered severe injuries in some of his recent endeavors. He told them that he would no longer be able to work at his full potential.

He told them not to worry about the villains because Luffy was going to be there to deal with them from now on.

He also told them not to worry about Wildfire. He told them that Wildfire wasn't going to return to villainy any time soon. He couldn't tell them why this was, but he told them this until they finally understood.

It was a week after that when everything finally began to settle down. Ace had officially stopped hero business and Sabo only went on a few, very low profile, missions.

In that week when everything calmed down, several things finally came into the light.

One of those things was that Marco had been working for both sides. He worked with the heroes, but also with the villain.

The second thing was the real reason why Ace couldn't tell anyone who his father was. There was someone that had constantly threatened Ace. That someone would hold Ace at gunpoint and tell him if he told anyone anything about the Villain Alliance, Luffy would be dead.

Fear makes a wonderful silencer.

The final thing was what really happened the night that Sabo and Ace both discovered their power for the first time.

Sabo had known that someone else was involved in the fire of his house, he just wasn't sure who. But this all made sense now that Ace had stated that he was also present the day of the fire so long ago.

Sabo was upset about it, of course. Who wouldn't be? If you just found out that your husband was the one that almost killed you as a child, you would be upset.

Although, the anger didn't last long. It never did. Because after all...

_Love burns brighter than fire._

_fin fixe_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is officially done now! I might start a new story and add it to this collection. I might take a short break before I start the next on though.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading this! I hope y'all enjoyed reading this because I sure enjoyed writing it. Thanks again for all the support and love for this story that you've given! It really means a lot to me!
> 
> I'll see you (maybe) in my next work!
> 
> Thank you!


End file.
